Las Vegas has one of the country's fastest-growing populations. Jurisdictional disputes with other building trades unions are likely because the complexity and overlapping sections of the current master labor agreement leave broad gray areas, says Jack Schaefer, president of the Nevada Contractors Association. For instance, the laborers want to place the conduit for electrical wiring, which could conflict with electrical workers union Local 357. And running backhoes for landscaping could create a problem with Local 12 of the operating engineers. Territorial issues also could arise if laborers work at ready-mix delivery truck chutes.
Homebuilders speculate that the slowdown on the Strip is behind the union's new interest in housing.
The union says its members are busy and working. Still, Local 872 has launched an aggressive recruitment campaign and says it already has a dozen contracts with utility and pool contractors. It takes time to build a relationship.