Vegas Construction Site Woes

When I was in Las Vegas in March I snapped a photo of the huge construction site between The Monte Carlo and The Bellagio, the future home of MGM's CityCenter.


That site has seen a rash of worker fatalities, and problems are mounting:

The majority of union workers on MGM Mirage Inc.'s multibillion dollar CityCenter project struck late Monday after talks broke down between the Nevada Building and Construction Trades Council, casino giant MGM Mirage and project general contractor Perini Building Co.

Since construction on CityCenter began, six men have died. The latest, 39-year-old Dustin Tarter, a crane worker, was killed Saturday. He is the latest victim who perished on the grounds.

"This is the sixth death since the start of the construction of the CityCenter project and this is unacceptable," said Steve Ross with the Southern Nevada Building & Construction Trades Council.

The council is throwing down the gauntlet. It has made suggestions to Perini Building Company and MGM-Mirage on ways to improve safety concerns at the job site.

Now they're demanding an immediate work site safety assessment, an on-site OSHA training course, both administered by the Center for Construction Research and Training, and full job site access to be granted to union officials and safety directors.

"Immediately is the time we're allowing Perini and MGM-Mirage to work with us in regards to these requests, meaning today," said Ross.

Now the 6,000 workers at CityCenter will walk once the clock strikes midnight.

"We have the most dangerous work on the site -- no ifs, ands or buts. Something needs to be done," said an ironworker who didn't want his name given.

At least none of the cranes have fallen down. The site is huge and will be spectacular once it's completed, but I've long had fears for what it will do to the traffic on Las Vegas Blvd. when it's completed. Even $4 a gallon gas isn't going to keep people out of Vegas.