Union is targeting stimulus program

CARSON CITY -- A Nevada labor union that accuses a state agency of trying to sidestep a prevailing wage requirement is seeking a temporary restraining order to block the spending of $10 million in federal stimulus money on a home weatherization program for low-income families.

The Nevada AFL-CIO contends that the Nevada Housing Division is not complying with a new state law that requires contractors doing stimulus-funded weatherization work to pay prevailing wage, offer health insurance and hire half of the workers from a training program that has not yet begun.

Prevailing wage is determined by the state labor commissioner and is often close to the union wage in an area.

State AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasuer Danny Thompson said the dispute is not a conflict between labor and management. It's about the reluctance of the housing division to follow the law.

"I have got people trained who could do the work if the housing division let them, and not just union workers," Thompson said. "This is not a union, nonunion issue."

Dianne Cornwall, director of the state Department of Business and Industry, said she can't understand why the union wants a restraining order to block the start of $10.4 million in "weatherization" projects.

The state risks losing the money if it's not spent.

"This is a baseless, worthless lawsuit, and they're only wasting time in trying to get these funds out to the folks that really need them," she said.

The union filed its request for a restraining order Monday in Clark County District Court. A hearing on the request is tentatively set for Tuesday before Judge Elizabeth Gonzalez.

Under SB152, signed into law in June by Republican Gov. Jim Gibbons, half of the workers hired to do stimulus-funded weatherization work must have completed union or management apprenticeship programs.

The legislation was dubbed the "green jobs" bill because its sponsor, state Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, D-Las Vegas, wanted as many as 3,000 unemployed workers to receive training for weatherization and also for renewable energy jobs the state might need in the future.

Weatherization involves repairing homes and installing new appliances to reduce energy consumption.

Cornwall said the state expects to receive about $40 million in federal funds for weatherization and some of that money will go to pay apprenticeship-trained workers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. Contact reporter Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.