For the past several weeks representatives of a local carpenters union have been picketing in front of the Las Vegas Hilton, alleging that the hotel's construction crews are mishandling asbestos as part of a renovation project.
"There are a lot of safety violations," says Carlos Leyvas, business agent for the Carpenter's Union Local 1780. "The workers don't even know that they're working close to asbestos. When I told one what asbestos was, he was very concerned." Leyvas says workers aren't being provided safety equipment such as respirators, goggles, gloves or airtight plastic suits.
Also, the union says that at least once, crews disposed of an asbestos bag in a public Dumpster instead of a locked container. Leyvas showed Las Vegas Weekly a picture of the bag in there. The union also claims that, for awhile at least, the proper containment unit was unlocked, and workers commonly left their tool in there for reuse later, a clear no-no when dealing with hazardous material such as asbestos.
The contractor on the renovation is Trademasters. The subcontractor responsible for the asbestos removal is C&W Enterprises, whose vice president, Joe Moreno, says the company has received no write-ups. "Tell the union that they're full of shit."
According to the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as many as 1.3 million workers in the construction trades are likely to face significant asbestos exposure, especially in renovation or demolition work like that taking place at the Hilton, or in the manufacture of products such as textiles and insulation. Asbestos can lead to cancer of the lung tissue, and mesothelioma, which OSHA's website describes as a cancer of the thin membrane that surrounds the lung and other internal organs. Workers are also susceptible to asbestiosis, a scarring of the lung tissue.
"It's not something you can see," says Frank Hawk, senior representative of the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. "You don't wake up in the morning and say, 'I've got asbestosis.' This is a 15-to-20-year deal."
The Las Vegas Hilton project, begun in April, involves the renovation of 47 rooms in the hotel's third-floor Lanai Wing. No one knows how much asbestos is being removed, but spokesperson Ira Sternberg says that before the rooms are deemed safe they will be inspected by a "hygienist." The renovation is scheduled for the end of the month.
"We're confident that the company has handled things well," says Sternberg about C&W. He said that officials from the Clark County Fire Department and OSHA have inspected the property. "It's all very well-controlled. There have been no complaints. But we're doing it the exact way we're supposed to be doing it."
Hawk doesn't put much stock in the clean bill from OSHA. "The hotels usually do not mess around with this," Hawk says. "This looks like a real amateur mistake."
Sternberg questions the union's involvement, pointing out that it has no jurisdiction on the project. He adds that the Hilton offered the union jobs in other parts of the hotel. "They did not take up our offer."
Union representatives claim they just want to get on the property—Leyvas has been turned away from going up to the third floor. "Whether they're doing it properly or not, I don't know," says carpenter Lenny Taylor. "It seems very suspicious; they're trying to hide something."
Still, during a recent visit to the work site, the containment unit was locked and its signs were taped to its doors, warning of asbestos. The open Dumpster was filled with dry wall pieces, Styrofoam and empty boxes. But the union plans to keep its signs up on the property. Late last week, a crew of workers from another carpenters local stood watch over the sign in front of the Weekly. They referred all questions to Lenny Taylor.
"If we sink our teeth in," Hawk adds, "this is something where we're not going away until the problem's fixed."