Michael Mishak

Reporter/ General Assignment

Michael Mishak is a reporter who covers labor issues for the Las Vegas Sun.

Contact Michael via e-mail

Call Michael at 702-259-2347.

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Story Archive

Debate over merits of health care reform has distinct campaign flavor: Advocacy groups investing heavily to influence Nevada voters, lawmakers; Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009; Nevada has become a key battleground for one of the most expensive — and consequential — public policy debates in history: health care reform. Seven advocacy groups on both sides have spent more than $1.1 million here over the past month on ads.
What’s at stake in House hearing on OSHA: Panel to review documented problems in state agency, hear emotional testimony on deaths; Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009; When the U.S. House Education and Labor Committee holds a hearing Thursday to examine the failings of Nevada’s workplace-safety program, representatives will try to answer two overarching questions:
U2 mixes theatrics, politics and songs it wants heard: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009; When U2’s 360 Tour touched down in Las Vegas last week, the biggest band in the world tried some sleight of hand, using the largest stage in rock history, a four-pronged claw with moving ramps, smoke, lights and swirling video screens, to achieve what frontman Bono has described as “intimacy on a grand scale.”
Two top law firms have stake in governor’s race: Reid, Sandoval work for pillars of Nevada’s power structure; Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009; If the leading candidates for governor win their parties’ nominations next year, the race will be more than a contest between a Republican and a Democrat — it would also pit a lawyer at one of the state’s most influential law firms versus another lawyer at another of the state’s most influential law firms.
Caution guides Titus on health care: She’s for public option, but against taxes that would hit some in district; Sunday, Oct. 25, 2009; The sign outside Rep. Dina Titus’ town hall last week said it all: No weapons, video recording equipment, signs, posters or props. It was a startling reminder of a summer of national discontent, punctuated by a series of town-hall meetings where angry constituents, armed with copies of health care legislation and sometimes guns, pilloried their representatives for, as they often put it, setting out to destroy the republic.
U2 puts on inspirational show for Dre, Clinton, everyone: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009; You know there's a party going on when Bill Clinton shows up. Yes, the 42nd President of the United States was in attendance at U2's starship spectacular at Sam Boyd Stadium Friday night. And so was Dr. Dre.
Feds’ appraisal of Nevada OSHA practices damning: Probe of agency’s response to worker deaths turns up serious problems; Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2009; The U.S. Labor Department issued a scathing indictment of Nevada’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration on Tuesday, painting the state agency charged with keeping workers safe on the job as incompetent.
Bob Dylan soars 'in full croak' with Las Vegas show: Aging rock 'n' roll poet laureate's lyrics prove lasting and relevant; Monday, Oct. 19, 2009; Bob Dylan smiled. There he was, the self-styled cowboy drifter, poet laureate of rock 'n' roll, fronting a five-piece band at the Joint Sunday night, playing some down-home rockabilly blues and breathing new life into classics that got the middle-aged-office-job crowd swinging their hips and shaking some serious tail.
Rory Reid emphasizes need to remix economy: In announcement day sit-down, candidate for governor critiques incumbent; Thursday, Oct. 15, 2009; Rory Reid officially entered the governor’s race Wednesday, pledging to create jobs and diversify Nevada’s narrow economy after decades of heavy reliance on gaming and tourism.
Rory Reid outlines plan for Nevada if elected to run it: Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009; Rory Reid released a 30-page blueprint for Nevada timed to his announcement today that he is running for governor, and in the process he told a hard truth, wrapped in a pleasant myth. The hard truth, which Reid doesn’t shy from: The good old days of a recession-proof, ever-growing Nevada where jobs are easy to come by are not coming back.
Democrats resurrect nasty attacks against Joe Heck: Targeting a medical issue, foes hope to blunt doctor’s strength; Sunday, Oct. 11, 2009; When Republican Joe Heck announced last week that he was dropping out of the governor’s race to challenge Rep. Dina Titus in Nevada’s 3rd Congressional District, it took the state Democratic Party a matter of hours to revive the brutal campaign it waged to oust the emergency room physician from the state Senate last year.
No front-runner among the five who would challenge Harry Reid: A look at the field that could unite the Republican base — and squander resources — with a competitive primary; Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009; National Republicans, having so far failed to recruit a blue-chip challenger to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid next year, face the prospect of a long — and potentially divisive — primary in which any one of a handful of candidates could clinch the nomination. Partisan strategists and operatives say that degree of uncertainty is highly unusual for such a high-profile race, costing the party valuable time it could otherwise use to groom a candidate for what promises to be the most expensive, hard-fought campaign in the country.
A different view outside AFL-CIO’s big tent: Carpenters union detests a company the federation admires, highlighting old rift; Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2009; Is Pete King Corp. an abusive contractor or a pillar of the region’s construction industry?
Clinton campaign schooled, inspired Rory Reid: Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009; Last year, with Nevada’s first early presidential caucus fast approaching, the Nevada State Education Association dropped a bomb. The union filed a lawsuit to shut down nine at-large caucus sites designed for Las Vegas Strip shift workers. It had Rory Reid’s fingerprints all over it.
From the right, a new source of news: Activist says service will be objective in how it writes, not in what it writes about; Sunday, Oct. 4, 2009; When former state Sen. Joe Heck said last week he was “seriously considering” leaving the governor’s race to challenge Rep. Dina Titus, word came from an unlikely reporter: Chuck Muth. The conservative activist and onetime executive director of the Nevada Republican Party broke the news through something called the Nevada News Bureau.
Recession means there’s less money for political campaigns: Gaming cuts its contributions; developers aren’t giving at all; Monday, Sept. 28, 2009; Add politicians to the list of Nevadans hard up in the recession.
Karl Rove: Eventually, GOP must supply answers: Sunday, Sept. 27, 2009; Introduced as a “visionary for public policy,” Karl Rove tried to live up to the billing, arguing that President Barack Obama’s health care plan had provided conservatives with an opening for a political comeback — but that Republicans need to offer an appealing alternative to capitalize on the opportunity.
Karl Rove: Health care an opening for conservative comeback: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009; Former White House adviser Karl Rove says President Barack Obama’s health care plan has provided conservatives with an opening for a political comeback — but that Republicans need to offer an appealing alternative to capitalize on the opportunity. “When it comes to health care, it’s fine for us to be beating up on ‘Obamacare,’” Rove said. “But we have to offer a positive prescription that makes sense for ordinary people.”
AFL-CIO sees young as challenge, opportunity: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2009; With a changing of the guard at the AFL-CIO convention here last week, the nation’s largest labor organization outlined an ambitious agenda, pledging to unify the movement, remake the face of labor and increase union ranks.
Culinary Union parent returns to AFL-CIO after split: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; PITTSBURGH -- Unite Here, the parent organization of the Culinary Union, returned to the AFL-CIO in grand fashion this morning after splitting from the nation’s largest labor federation four years ago.
A call for unions to come together: AFL-CIO head asks groups to follow Unite Here into fold; Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009; As Richard Trumka assumed the presidency of the AFL-CIO Wednesday, he issued a sweeping call for reunification to a number of unions that left the nation’s largest labor organization in a bitter split four years ago.
Obama reconnects with union allies: On health care, organizing bills, president reassures; Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2009; When President Barack Obama took the stage at the AFL-CIO’s annual convention here Tuesday, he faced thousands of union foot soldiers who were wary of his leadership and Congress’ commitment to the labor agenda. Obama’s mere presence here seemed to allay those concerns, as thousands of labor leaders greeted him with a minutes-long standing ovation, a sort of collective sigh of relief.
As the Reids seek office, who hurts whom?: Each Reid’s campaign sees a potential obstacle in the other’s; Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009; According to sources close to Sen. Harry Reid’s campaign, the gubernatorial ambitions of son Rory Reid, the Clark County Commission chairman, have emerged as a point of considerable hand wringing among advisers who view it as an obstacle to the U.S. Senate majority leader’s reelection. Expecting Sen. Reid to face a tight reelection race, his advisers see Rory Reid’s presence on the 2010 ballot, in the cold calculus of political campaigns, as one in a series of preelection risks. It’s a view that some are spreading throughout Nevada political circles.
As day honoring workers nears, few here have much to celebrate: Sunday, Sept. 6, 2009; Thousands of union construction workers gathered on a vacant, dirt lot in downtown Las Vegas last week to hear some of Southern Nevada’s most prominent Democratic leaders fete their accomplishments. The event, dubbed a “Celebration of Nevada Workers,” was part political rally, part carnival — complete with hot dogs, shaved ice cones and amusement rides. But the high praise and free food were cold comfort for Las Vegas workers facing the worst Labor Day in state history.
Grass roots or not, Nevada tea parties had assist: Conservative activists stop in Las Vegas along cross-country tour; Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009; The Republican-backed organization that was unable to accomplish its sole objective in 2008 — to stop Barack Obama from becoming president — rolled into town Monday for a do-over of sorts.
Suit raises illegal immigrant rights issue: Attorney says cleaning company shortchanged hundreds of workers; Monday, Aug. 31, 2009; A workplace lawsuit filed by a group of immigrant laborers against a cleaning contractor popular with posh Strip restaurants is the latest controversy over how third-party operators conduct business in the strictly-regulated atmosphere of casinos.
Nevada’s on-the-job fatalities fell in ’08: Construction slowdown, safety improvements cited as reasons by experts; Thursday, Aug. 27, 2009; Nevada had the second sharpest decline in workplace fatalities in the nation last year, a drop that experts attributed to the slowdown in construction and a renewed emphasis on safety in that industry.
At Chamber meeting, Harry Reid plays to the center: Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2009; About 100 protesters walked a picket line of sorts on Las Vegas Boulevard Wednesday afternoon, denouncing the Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce for hosting Harry Reid as the keynote speaker for its luncheon. The common complaint: Harry Reid, Too Liberal For Nevada.
Next AFL-CIO chief pledges to press for health care, labor law reform: Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2009; Richard Trumka fashions himself after some of the 20th century’s labor firebrands.
Fired workers’ claims typical of nonnatives who mull union bids: They say employer questioned immigration status to foil plan; Thursday, Aug. 20, 2009; Elias Garcia and his co-workers were fed up. They wanted more pay and better benefits for working the line at a Las Vegas recycling plant operated by Republic Services. More important, they wanted safer working conditions. They wanted to organize.
Disabled? For benefits, apply, keep waiting: Social Security judges say jump in caseloads is overwhelming them; Sunday, Aug. 16, 2009; The Social Security Administration is being slammed by a surge in disability and retirement claims that is threatening to shortchange applicants and cripple a system that, even before the downturn, was starved for resources.
See unions’ future here this week, but hurry: Convention’s white-collar crowd is new rank and file, experts say; Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2009; Unionizing success stories are rare in the modern labor movement — and even rarer in the private sector.
Unions want their money’s worth from politicians: Leaders vow tougher push on health care, labor law reform; Friday, Aug. 7, 2009; Organized labor has always been one of the Democratic Party’s most powerful and reliable allies, bankrolling candidates and turning out votes — even, at times, at the expense of the union agenda.
Culinary Union sees shot in Station insolvency: Gaming company less able to resist unionizing while it’s in reorganization, experts say; Monday, Aug. 3, 2009; The Culinary Union fought for years to organize the Aladdin. But it wasn’t until the resort filed for bankruptcy protection that the union gained the upper hand. That lesson was on the minds of Culinary leaders last week as Station Casinos — the union’s bitter rival — filed for Chapter 11 protection.
Ruling: Wage suits can name executives: Appeals court says bosses can be held liable for pay, even in bankruptcy; Thursday, July 30, 2009; Station Casinos now counts itself among a number of Las Vegas gaming companies in or near bankruptcy, ratcheting up fears among thousands of workers concerned for their livelihoods in a fragile economy.
Sudden chill sent Wal-Mart’s way: Labor Department moves go against its lucrative, ingrained business model; Sunday, July 26, 2009; Labor Secretary Hilda Solis quietly announced two actions last week that could have far-reaching effects on workers and Wal-Mart, the country’s largest private employer. First, Solis boasted of a hike in the federal minimum wage. She followed up with news that her department will hire 250 investigators this year to enforce wage-and-hour laws.
Not so fast, union says on loan for city hall: Leader renounces his spokesman’s account of laborers’ move; Wednesday, July 22, 2009; Laborers chief Tommy White wants to make one thing perfectly clear: His union would like to build Las Vegas a new city hall — but not with nearly $80 million from the local’s pension fund, as one of his deputies told the Sun last week.
Card check might be yielding to other goals: Big labor bill appears to be in flux as Democrats try to gain filibuster-proof support; Tuesday, July 21, 2009; Prominent local and national labor leaders pushed back on news last week that a group of U.S. senators had dropped a key provision from a bill that would make it easier for workers to organize.
Old Vegas-style financing offered for city hall: Then, union pension fund loans built casinos; now, laborers, desperate for jobs, offer loan to government; Friday, July 17, 2009; Taking a page from the city’s past, the laborers union has offered to finance up to half of the cost of a new Las Vegas city hall — from its pension fund.
Cricket swarm brings plague to state’s North: Insects keep finding ways to thwart efforts to eradicate them; Sunday, July 5, 2009; Diana Bunitsky looked out the window and saw them coming. In a scene out of Revelation, a 25-foot-wide swarm of flightless insects started to climb the stairs to Lone Mountain Station, a bar Bunitsky owns with her husband, Victor, in northern Elko County.
State gaming regulators shied away from policing borrowing: Sunday, June 21, 2009; Because a healthy gaming industry is vital to the state’s economy, the Nevada Gaming Control Board and Commission are responsible for reviewing the financial health of gaming companies. Why, then, have regulators allowed companies to incur so much debt?
In state GOP, Ensign finds few defenders: Governor, who has issues of his own, offers backing; Sunday, June 21, 2009; You know you’re at a low point when the only person willing to stand beside you in your time of marital and political strife is Jim Gibbons, the Nevada governor who was once accused of assaulting a cocktail waitress, is in the middle of an ugly divorce and has approval ratings below the freezing temperature of water.
Jeff Tweedy puts Wilco back on course: Friday, June 19, 2009; You probably know Wilco as that hot “alt-country” band that got into a blistering scrap with its record company back in early part of this century.
Gaming companies ask Culinary for ‘relief’ on raises; they’re talking: Friday, June 12, 2009; Las Vegas casino operators, struggling under the burden of heavy debt and declining revenue, are leaning on their workers for help, asking the Culinary Union for “temporary economic relief,” according to the union’s leader.
In Labor's heart, Dems didn't deliver: Leaders say unions took unfair hit in legislative session, vow to fight in ’11; Tuesday, June 9, 2009; Nevada labor leaders are disappointed that their Democratic allies in the Legislature failed to advance significant items on labor’s agenda despite controlling both chambers for the first time in two decades. To be sure, unions can claim some small victories, including improvements to the state’s workers’ compensation system and mandated safety training for construction workers. But a sense of frustration — even outrage — was palpable last week as labor leaders lamented lawmakers’ failure to restructure the state’s tax system. To hear them tell it, the Legislature robbed workers for the second consecutive session, forcing cuts in public employee pay, pensions and health benefits. Moreover, legislators amended collective bargaining rules for local governments, tilting the system toward management.
Card check might be union war’s collateral damage: Bill founders as one leader of Unite Here departs; Wednesday, June 3, 2009; After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to win Democratic majorities in Congress and elect Barack Obama president, the labor movement’s No. 1 legislative priority — a bill that would make it easier for workers to organize — is in severe jeopardy, in large part because of high-profile infighting among some the country’s most progressive unions.
Wilhelm’s stand: Labor will rebuild middle class: Organizational fighting, he says, is a step toward private sector unionization; Sunday, May 31, 2009; We sat down with Wilhelm last week for a conversation at the Culinary’s offices, where he spent 11 years overseeing the local. In his view, the battle between Unite Here and SEIU will determine the future of the American labor movement.
Unite Here even more split as co-leader resigns in huff: Sunday, May 31, 2009; A bitter, protracted leadership struggle within one of the nation’s most progressive unions apparently ended Friday when Unite Here General President Bruce Raynor resigned.
Obama here for the sunshine: As president applauds Nevada's green efforts, two bills to foster industry's growth make their way through Carson City; Thursday, May 28, 2009; Some people visit Las Vegas for the sights. Others, for the sounds.
But Wednesday, President Barack Obama said he came here for the sun, touring a solar array at Nellis Air Force Base, the largest facility of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
Obama and Reid are friends indeed: Their alliance boosts Reid's reelection hopes and Obama's ambitious agenda; Wednesday, May 27, 2009; In early February, Majority Leader Harry Reid stepped onto the Senate floor to announce that President Barack Obama had just accepted his invitation to return to Las Vegas.