I just read your article on workplace safety on strip construction projects.

One thing that wasn't mentioned is the fact that the General President of the Carpenters Union, Douglas MacCarron, is also on the Board of Directors for Perini. Furman’s boss is MacCarron.

It appears to be a conflict of interest when the person who is ultimately responsible for his member’s rights and safety also benefits financially from speed ups and a loose safety policy. The reality is that the Carpenters Union is simply a company Union at Perini.

As a member of the Carpenters Union, we cannot vote on our contracts or our leadership. Everyone is appointed. Our Stewards are chosen by the appointed staff and must go along with what ever the Leadership says. While Furman is the top guy in LV Doug MacCarron’s brother is the guy who is in charge of the SWRCC. He won’t do anything that will embarrass Doug MacCarron.

This is why the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Marc Furman, isn’t aggressively addressing the issue of jobsite safety with Perini.

We also have over 2000 carpenters out of work in LV at this time. If we complain to our Union reps about safety on the Perini job site we are told that if we don't like the way things are we should just leave and go back to where we came from as people are standing in line that want our job and they won't complain.