Unions and wages in Nevada’s hotel-casino industry

A significant union presence in the Las Vegas hotelcasino industry juxtaposed to the near absence of union representation in the Reno area provides a unique setting to study union wage effects in the industry. Results of the analysis using state wage survey data indicate that after controlling for unobserved heterogeneity in the two locations median wages in occupations in Las Vegas with substantial union coverage are 24 percent higher than wages in identical occupations in Reno.