Reno, United States – August 9, 2018 — About 50 protestors will be at Hot August Nights events on the street next to Eldorado Resorts property to make a stand for worker safety and using licensed contractors. Recently, the Eldorado Resorts hired out-of-state contractor Digney York Associates, LLC to remodel hotel-casino Circus Circus Reno, but the contractor was recently cited for using unsafe practices and has a history of jeopardizing public safety. Additionally, the contractor was cited in April for knowingly hiring five unlicensed contractors. Protestors request that Eldorado Resorts fire Digney York, and hire contractors that respect worker safety.
In addition to the 50 protestors at the event, there will be a giant inflatable fat cat, representing the Eldorado Resorts profiting from cutting corners, a giant inflatable rat, two rat mascots and several others in hazmat suits. In addition to that, there will be a light show this evening (Thursday) once the sun goes down projected onto the side of the casino. The messaging will bring to light the casino’s lack of regard for worker safety and hiring out-of-state and unlicensed contractors.
Hours of the protest:
• Today (Thursday) 2pm – 11pm
• Friday, Aug. 10, 2pm – 6pm
• Saturday, Aug. 11, 10pm – 2pm
The Eldorado Resorts’ out-of-state contractor hired five unlicensed contractors, and was cited for safety violations including a “serious” violation involving asbestos handling.
Virginia-based Digney York Associates, LLC was hired to renovate the hotel-casino Circus Circus this year, but footage and photos reveal that the workers are not following OSHA standards, which puts their workers and potentially the public at risk.
The company was cited by OSHA on April 24, 2018 for two violations. One was described as a “serious” violation involving asbestos handling. The other was a violation of Nevada Revised Statutes requiring workers to present a valid completion card that shows completion of an OSHA-mandated safety training course within 15 days of hiring.
Additional observed hazards and violations include: - forcing traffic to drive unexpectedly into a suicide lane to avoid obstacles without providing any traffic notification or flaggers, - not controlling their work zones, - not ensuring their workers are wearing the required protective gear, - and hiring unlicensed out-of-state contractors.
“(Cars and trucks) were veering into the middle lane, so that could cause a head-on collision with the opposing traffic,” said Northwest Regional Organizing Coalition Market Representative Jake McNeill. “They were not controlling their work zones, which is when accidents happen. Most reputable companies would not take such risks.”
Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades leaders told the Circus Circus owners Gregg Carano and CEO Gary Carano about the safety violations they had observed the out-of-state contractors making on April 26, but the Circus Circus has continued working with Digney York, which has made no observable changes in safety practices.
Sign the Petition!
More than 400 people have signed a petition requesting that Eldorado Resorts fire Digney York for unsafe practices and unlicensed contractors. To sign the petition visit https://www.change.org/p/eldorado-resorts-should-fire-digney-york-for-unsafe-practices-unlicensed-contractors
There have been ongoing protests outside of Eldorado Resorts since the Caranos were informed on April 26 and no action was taken. At a recent protest, more than 30 members of the Northern Nevada Building and Construction Trades protested the safety violations of Eldorado Resorts and Digney York, accusing both of jeopardizing safety and cutting corners in order to lower costs. They inflated a giant, 20-foot rat to stand at the foot of the massive, stories-tall electric clown sign that serves as the mascot of Circus Circus to show what they thought of the business owners who disregard safety for profit and don’t support local communities. Members held a sign reading “Shame on Circus Circus For Hiring Unlicensed Out-of-State Contractors. Keep Local Work Local!” To sign up for notifications on how to support local unions’ efforts to protect the safety of workers and the public, visit https://casinosuckerbets.org.
“Shame on the Circus Circus for not valuing worker safety, public safety, and for working with an out-of-state company who knowingly works with unlicensed contractors,” said Russell James, the Regional Director for District Council 16 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. “They know what Digney York is doing, and they’re continuing to work with them. Support your community by choosing companies that value safety and hire local businesses.”
The Nevada State Contractor Board fined Digney York $21,500 for knowingly entering into a contract with five unlicensed contractors to work on Circus Circus’s renovations. The unlicensed contractors included: - All Shores Flooring, Inc., - Ideal Renovations and Construction Management - Zap’s Electrical, LLC, - Wall Tech Renovations, Inc., and - Coastline Construction, Inc.
Workers were filmed working on the Circus Circus without wearing any of the required personal protection equipment such as hard hats, work boots, or safety vests to improve visibility while working on public streets.
Workers were photographed shoving debris off of forklifts into an unsecured dumpster. This is a public safety hazard because the sidewalk and street remained open to the public without flaggers or standard traffic notification. Workers had no means of preventing the debris from falling outside the dumpster. If something were to fall on someone or in the roadway, they could be injured, McNeill said.
Digney York has a history of ignoring safety regulations on other projects. In 2015, the Department of Public Works in San Francisco found the company not in compliance with safety regulations after it failed to fill the plastic safety barriers it used in a construction project with adequate amounts of water in order to weigh them down. A handful of people were critically injured in Union Square when a double-decker bus ended up plowing through the barriers. The driver said he was attempting to use the barriers to slow down after his brakes failed, but to his shock the barriers “flew away like paper” resulting in multiple injuries.
Contact Info:
Eloy Jara, President of Laborers’ International Union of North America Local 169 (LiUNA)
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 1-775-750-9134
Russell James, the Regional Director for District Council 16 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades [email protected] District Council 16 of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades 1-775-762-9942