Union says tape proves kickback scheme by contractor

Phil Levine

Wednesday, May 3, 2000 | 10:52 a.m.

The Nevada Carpenters Union alleges an audio tape proves a Las Vegas subcontractor required several Hispanic workers pay kickbacks from their paychecks to company officials.

The Council of Carpenters alleges Jetstream Construction Inc. required several Hispanic employees submit kickbacks from wages earned while working on high-wage Clark County School District construction projects in 1998 and early 1999.

The union says former Jetstream employee Manuel Gomez made the tape of a conversation he had on July 31, 1998, with Jetstream owner John Field. During the conversation, Field allegedly asked for the kickback.

In a transcript of the tape provided by the union, Field is alleged to have said "...if you want to pay the cash you can go to work now."

Gomez then asked "I got to pay it first?," to which Field allegedly replied "yeah."

The union alleges Hispanic workers, such as Gomez, were ordered to provide kickbacks ranging from $200 to $280 per week to Jetstream's owners.

Designated as prevailing wage job sites, the projects allegedly involved paid an average of $29 per hour.

Prevailing wages are set once a year by the Nevada Labor Commissioner, and are wages paid to workers on public works projects with a contract value exceeding $100,000.

A Jetstream spokesman could not be reached for comment.

However, when the union first made the allegations public in February, Jetstream Vice President John Dombrowski denied the charges and said the union was targeting the company because of its success as an open-shop (non-union) firm.

"We've been very successful and have a great reputation, and that's probably why they're trying to sabotage us," Dombrowski said at the time.

Carpenter's union senior representative Daniel O'Shea said the union became aware of the audio tape's existence last December.

"He (Gomez) doesn't speak English very well, and made the tape to prove to others -- including his wife -- why he lost his job," O'Shea said.

"We felt we needed corroboration, and so we spoke to several other Jetstream employees. We asked exactly the same questions (regarding kickbacks) to several of them and received almost identical answers."

O'Shea said Gomez allegedly was told he would have to pay the kickbacks to secure employment, and initially agreed to do so.

"But he never did (make the payments)," O'Shea said. "And by the third or fourth pay period, he was finally told by them (Jetstream's owners) 'no money, no work."'

O'Shea said the union is convinced that Jetstream specifically targeted only Spanish-speaking employees.

"I talked to about 100 (Jetstream) employees, and half were Hispanic and half weren't," he said. "Not one of the non-Hispanic employees said they were asked for any kickbacks."

O'Shea said several state and federal agencies are looking into the allegations, including the Nevada Attorney General's office, the Nevada State Contractors Board, the Nevada Labor Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"I can only say that we have received the documents and are looking into the matter," said Gail Maxwell of the Nevada Labor Commission.

Nevada Attorney General spokesman Steve George said department policy was to neither confirm nor deny an investigation into alleged offences.

A spokesman for the Nevada State Contractors Board could not be reached for comment.