LABOR IS IN THE HOUSE

Collins choses Union interests over Non-Union Casino Ready Mix

Is there any difference between Corporate and Union control over our elected officials?

"Labor is in the House"" said Tom Collins

Labor gets chance to take center stage - Las Vegas Sun Jan 20, 2007

It seems like the Democrats and the Unions will be joined at the hip to be able to accomplish the goal of 100,000 Democrats voting in about 1000 sites in the upcoming Democratic Caucus. Senator Reid's staff is heavily involved and thinks the Unions will be a central partner.

What will the unions want for this effort? Will they want what is good for all of Nevada or what would be better for their Union members? At a meeting in January 2007 Senator Reid made no mention of specific Nevada Issues like public lands, water rights or Yucca Mountain. Instead, three national labor leaders told the crowd to hold candidates accountable on jobs, health care, education, economic issues and restoring the right of good people to join a union. More and more it seems like the Union special interest group is interested in their issues and not ours.

It looks like the Unions showed their muscle in May 2006 when they voted 4-3 to reject a permit for a nonunion company, Casino Ready Mix, that is suppling concrete for the Hoover Dam bypass bridge project. Casino Ready Mix said that Collins tried to persuade the company to pay prevailing union wages to its workers. Collins contented he was trying to help the company by getting the unions to stop protesting. Doesn't this seem like Collins was acting as a representative or lobbyist of the International Operating Engineers Union in this case?

Looking in on: Clark County - December 14, 2006 - Las Vegas Sun