Labor dispute leads to charges of violence

Grace Leong

Monday, Oct. 15, 2001 | 9:56 a.m.

A union organizing drive at a North Las Vegas construction company has led to a lawsuit, federal grievances and charges of racism and violence, with both sides accusing each other of wrongdoing.

Some 90 members of the Nevada Carpenters union protested Friday at D&K Drywall Inc.'s office, accusing the firm of paying Hispanic workers less than white employees and of other labor violations. D & K had sued the Carpenters a week earlier, claiming the union is disrupting its business and accusing the union of violence.

The union claims the violence started when D&K President Dean Hastings led workers who don't support the union in crossing a picket line at a project and injured picketers during incidents Oct. 4 and Oct 5.

But Doug Oakland, D&K project manager, disputed the accusations and blamed the union for the violence, saying Hastings didn't force his workers to cross the picket line.

"The workers wanted to get into the jobsite but were intimidated by the (union) violence, so they asked Hastings to lead them through the line. But the Carpenters locked arms and blocked the gates, and when we tried to get around them, they punched and kicked us."

Clark County District Judge Mark Denton issued a temporary restraining order Oct. 11 ordering both sides to refrain from violence.

He also ruled that the Carpenters are to picket in a way that doesn't block access to the job site.

The union claims the 320-worker subcontractor fired or retaliated against several workers when they joined in protests against the company. It was also accused of failing to provide its workers with adequate safety training, health benefits and retaliating against its workers when they tried to petition for a wage increase.

Jim Sala, the Carpenters' organizing director, said the union has filed 18 charges against D&K with the National Labor Relations Board.

A key complaint is that Hispanic workers are discriminated against.

"If a white drywall framer is paid, for example, $18 an hour, a Hispanic worker with the same qualifications would be paid $16 an hour or by piece-rate, which means they only get paid when they work. And if there are delays in getting the material, they're just sitting around."

D&K's Oakland denied the charges.

"Everyone gets paid a fair wage according to their experience and productivity. We don't set wages for different races."