Union labor on school jobs urged

By Emily Richmond

Tuesday, July 2, 2002 | 11:03 a.m.

Union leaders say they know how to save the Clark County School District time and money on school construction projects: Require contractors to hire union workers for all job sites.

Michael Slater, executive director of the Nevada Interfaith Council for Worker Justice, said if district officials had a "project labor agreement" more area residents would be hired instead of cheaper, out-of-state workers.

"Nevada tax dollars should go to promote jobs for Nevadans," Slater told the Clark County School Board last week.

In recent months labor union leaders and minority rights activists have been targeting the Clark County School District's $3.5 billion capital improvement plan. There have been rallies, pickets and press conferences -- often held outside the district's offices on Flamingo Road -- drawing attention to what protesters say are unfair hiring practices.

This isn't the first time union leaders have proposed a project labor agreement with the school district. Two years ago the district's Bond Oversight Committee went as far as to commission a consultant to study the idea before rejecting it.

Supporters say the agreements, which require contractors to hire union workers, save millions in cost overruns because the job is done right the first time by skilled labor. No days are lost because of strikes or work stoppages, supporters say.

But some contractors say the agreements only drive up the price of public works projects by reducing the pool of potential bidders. The agreements also have been called inefficient because of the limits placed on the work force that can be hired.

Robert Nard, secretary-treasurer of the Southern Nevada Building Trades Council, helped to organize the crowds of union workers who flooded the audience at last Thursday's school board meeting and signed up to speak during the public comment portion.

Nard said he hoped to get the question of project labor agreements on an upcoming agenda. Board members are allowed to vote only on agenda items, and cannot direct staff to take action on issues raised during public comment.

Fred Smith, construction manager for the district, said the consultant's report found there was "no compelling reason" for the district to use project labor agreements.

"My concern is that PLAs address a problem that we simply do not have," Smith said. "We don't have labor unrest on our projects."

But much has changed in the district since the consultant's report was completed, School Board Member Denise Brodsky said. The pace of school construction is even faster, and more labor is needed, she said.

"There have been some very successful projects under PLAs; maybe it's time to revisit the issue," Brodsky said.

School Board Member Larry Mason said he was interested in pursuing the possibility of such an agreement and did not want to wait for another consultant's report to be completed.

"It this means saving millions and millions of dollars and hiring more of our fine citizens, it seems like a no-brainer to me," said Mason, earning enthusiastic applause from an audience packed with union laborers.

Few things frustrate an out-of-work Clark County construction worker more than driving by a job site and seeing dozens of Arizona, Utah and California license plates, Tom Morley, organizer for Laborers Local 872, said.

"Many of our guys, their kids are in Clark County schools," he said. "They have a personal interest in seeing these jobs through."

The Southern Nevada Water Authority has had a project labor agreement in place since 1996. Projects have come in on time and under budget, and not a single day has been lost because of a labor dispute or work stoppage, Nard said.

"This is a way for the district to make sure they have top-notch, skilled labor working on their job sites," Nard said.

Water authority officials say they entered into the project labor agreement because they could not risk falling behind on deadlines. In the early 1990s officials knew the Las Vegas Valley's soaring population was quickly outpacing the water authority's antiquated delivery system. More than $2 billion in improvements were outlined, with the bulk of the work scheduled to be completed by 2008, water authority officials said.

"This is critical work that needs to be done in a short amount of time," said Niel Laudati, spokesman for the water authority. "A labor strike could jeopardize delivery and that is just unacceptable."

So far, the project labor agreement has been "tremendously successful," Laudati said. There has been no shortage of bids from qualified contractors, Laudati said.