Union members, families rally at pre-Labor Day celebration

Unions share concerns about economy and job growth, emphasize importance of organized labor

Steve Marcus

Union members hold up signs as they listen to speakers during an early Labor Day celebration for union members and their families in downtown Las Vegas on Thursday.

By Cydney Cappello (contact)

Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009 | 9:22 p.m.

Labor rally

You need to upgrade your Flash Player

Unions and labor coverage

Thousands of union members and their families rallied in downtown Las Vegas Thursday to share their concerns about the slumping economy and job growth and to stress the importance of using local union labor.

Union leaders and politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and Clark County Commission Chairman Rory Reid, mingled with the crowd at the pre-Labor Day event billed as a celebration of Nevada workers.

Reid, among the speakers, drew screams of approval when he said, “When in doubt, organize” and quoted the Woody Guthrie song “Union Maid,” saying, “I’m not scared, I’m sticking with union.”

Reid later called for a moment of silence in honor of Sen. Edward Kennedy, who died Aug. 25 after a battle with brain cancer.

The event, which took place Thursday afternoon at the Helldorado Rodeo site, took on a festival-like atmosphere with free snow cones, pony rides, hot dogs and a giant inflatable slide. Those in the crowd wore union T-shirts and waved signs with phrases such as “Union work = Quality Labor” and “Nevada for Nevada Families.”

Randy Soltero, 47, of the sheet metal workers union, said he was impressed by the turnout. “What’s most important is you don’t just see a bunch of rank-and-file members here, you see the rank-and-file members with their spouses and their children here,” he said. “That’s really what this whole event is about, is celebrating Nevada working families.”

Soltero, who said at least a quarter of union workers are without jobs, said working with the City Council and County Commission is the first step to creating more jobs. One of the points of the rally was to emphasize the importance of using union labor in public and public-private partnership projects.

Bill Brouwer, 58, a member of the plumbers, pipe-fitters, and heating and air-conditioning union, is among those who are unemployed.

“We can’t have contractors outbidding the local unions at a lower price and then bringing in non-union workers,” Brouwer said. “Once the unions go, the rest of this will go, so it's important we remain union and stay strong.”

While he isn’t working , Brouwer said, he is taking classes and learning new trades. Beyond that, he’s looking for a break in the economy.

“Hopefully at the beginning of the year, it will turn around for us. All we can do is hope for the best,” Brouwer said.

Discussion: 12 comments so far…

By emvance

9/4/09 at 3:10 a.m.

Suggest removal

Keep taking though classes. Because I would say the day of the union is over, you are over priced and work at a snail pace.... give me that fat pay check I am in the UNION.... Give me a non-union worker any day they work harder for a good pay. That will not bust the bank and we as a Company can keep working and working. because the UNION bust the bank and it is harder to get the net job because of you .... and say Hello the to Prince Harry Reid for me , this will be his last year better enjoy it.......
By fremmasmind

9/4/09 at 6:20 a.m.

Suggest removal

Tell me truthfully emvance, if you were offered a job in one of the union locals, you'd take it, wouldn't you?
1. The top rate per hour for your work
2. The best medical coverage for you and your family
3.A retirement fund for when you get old and gray
I have found that the majority of people who complain about the union are actually jealous because they are not a part of it.
By gotjobs

9/4/09 at 7:37 a.m.

Suggest removal

To whom are those "we want jobs" directed? Union backed Oblame and Reid are focused on job killer "cap & tax" and ILLEGAL amnesty while unions wander aimlessly in circles demanding jobs from who?
By neiman1

9/4/09 at 8:43 a.m.

Suggest removal

Poor harry Reid. He wasn't kidding when he said about Sen. Kennedy's death, "I think it will help us".

He wasn't just talking about his government health care takeover, it seems now he wants to use it for his re election campaign.

We have had enough of the Reids. Time to move on.
By isthis4real

9/4/09 at 9:42 a.m.

Suggest removal

if u guys believe anything reid says theN you are bigger fools than i think you are! reid has turned into an eastern democrat and could care less about nevada! he just wants to be a hotshot getting things done for his buddies....the ones back east, not nevada....

what has he done for nevada with his power in the senate?

ANSWER: ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!!
By LarryVegas

9/4/09 at 10:15 a.m.

Suggest removal

I got to thinking... I know that's unusual...

But, why are those people holding up signs?

Does Harry not know he is at a Union rally?
Maybe Harry Little does not know?
Oh, I bet it is Oscar. Just give him another drink and he will be able to read the signs.

I only noticed one photo with Oscar in it, but 66 with Harry and Harry Little. Maybe Oscar was at the cash bar...
By dhvincent1

9/4/09 at 10:52 a.m.

Suggest removal

Reid, among the speakers, drew screams of approval when he said, "When in doubt, organize" and quoted the Woody Guthrie song "Union Maid," saying, "I'm not scared, I'm sticking with union."
Spoken like a true communist.
By dollarbillz

9/4/09 at 11:06 a.m.

Suggest removal

All these UNION boys will be crossing over the fence to the NON-union side as soon as city center is done because nothing is going up on the STRIP for quit some time. It all boils down to $$$$$ when theres no work a REAL man will do whatever it takes to feed his family. The Union halls ONLY want the members DUES every month, that includes ALL THE ILLEGALS that work throughout the union halls. Your all a bunch of hypocrites. I ran a project on the strip at Harmon and LV blvd not to long ago and EVERYDAY I had UNION workers just LAID OFF comming to my trailer and asking if we were hiring knowing full well we were NON-UNION. How hungry is your family, hows that mortgage payment holding up, gas in the car. UNIONS are all but dead and gone. 8 or 9 years ago local 631 teamsters (Mixer Drivers) went on strike with NO solidarity from ANY of the other local halls. they were only out a couple of weeks or so but the end result was they TOOK A $2.00 AN HOUR CUT IN PAY........WHAT. At the time we were the fastest growing city in the country and I'm paying me dues for representation from the UNION and I loose 2 bucks an hour. SI SE PUEDE. OBAMA sucks and so do all the UNIONS. Just remember when your working next to me in a couple of weeks, when I ask you to help me shovel some concrete into the forms dont start CRYING and tell me thats not your JOB because your a Finisher and only Laborers do that. Then you can pack up and take your LAZY ass back home for I will FIRE you on the spot and you can go hang out back down at the HAll. ITS NOT MY JOB. Thats the Union problem in a nutshell.
By mred

9/4/09 at 11:36 a.m.

Suggest removal

Stimulus jobs should only go to Union members and Obama-Reid supporters; dittoheads, Sean Insannity listeners should take advantage of "work at home" schemes advertised on right wing talk radio.

Most of city center is completed now.
By stopblamingamerica

9/4/09 at 11:39 a.m.

Suggest removal

"the surge is not working,the war is lost"Way to sefishly use politics and to embolden the enemy in time of war,to kill more of our children.this man should be voted out.
By mikegino

9/4/09 at 2:48 p.m.

Suggest removal

mred: Free everything! Free love! Free Willy! Free Van Jones! Free needles! Free Everything! The workers Utopia has arrived.
By spock

9/4/09 at 6:50 p.m.

Suggest removal

The union has outlasted it's purpose, Now all you have is a bought and paid for vote for the liberal party. There are so many laws in place now (OSHA) that the union is irrelevant. Now it's, Don't sing the the blues just give us your dues! By the way,OSHA sucks the life out of every business they can.