Wal-Mart in, Santa Fe out of labor activists’ ‘Book of Shame’

Monday, June 11, 2001 | 11:12 a.m.

Las Vegas labor unions and a religious group have added Wal-Mart Stores Inc. to their "Book of Shame," an annual list of companies they claim mistreat workers in Las Vegas.

The "Book of Shame" was issued today by the Interfaith Council and the AFL-CIO.

Wal-Mart, which the unions describe as the largest private sector employer in the United States with more than 910,000 workers, is accused of paying the majority of its workers poverty-level wages despite its size and profitability, flouting labor laws and abusing the court system.

Ark Las Vegas Restaurant Corp. (operator of restaurants at New York-New York hotel-casino), Davey Roofing, Gornowich Sand & Gravel Inc. and Hardy Painting & Drywall were also named. Unions claim the companies took illegal steps to stop workers from organizing by firing and intimidating employees who chose to unionize their workplaces.

Jensen Precast and Precision Concrete were also listed again in the book.

But Chad Stewart, Precision's president, said: "Being named doesn't mean a lot to me. The Carpenters union (which has been trying to organize my workers) have no credibility with me. People judge us by the work we do. Our workers have never voted for union representation."

The Santa Fe hotel-casino was dropped from the list because it was sold to Station Casinos Inc., which continues to operate the property as a non-union business.

The other companies listed in the book couldn't immediately be reached for comment.