Construction labor crunch sidelines projects and companies - BY TONY ILLIA, Las Vegas Business Press
Unions, meanwhile, have been scrambling to fill contractor demand. Both the carpenters and laborers, for example, allow migration without penalizing members or levying additional dues. The added numbers have pumped-up unions locals to record numbers.
'We increased our membership by about 1,100 people last year,' said Tommy White, secretary-treasurer for the Laborers' Local 872, which represents over 4,400 members in Clark County. 'And we're projecting to add up to 2,000 more members by 2007.'
The Laborers even chartered a new local, 702, in November in response to the union's growth. The new local addresses off-Strip light-commercial and residential work. Local 702 has been adding roughly 30 members a month, White claims.
The Carpenters are similarly seeing swollen numbers with 8,800 Las Vegas area members, says Marc Furman, senior administrative assistant for the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. He expects to reach 10,000 strong by 2007 when construction peaks at CityCenter.
'It's mostly guys from the Rust Belt, places like Michigan, Wisconsin and Ohio, who are coming to Las Vegas,' he added.