The Cost of Construction

The Cost of Construction investigates the string of controversial deaths in Las Vegas, Nevada during the construction of MGM's CityCenter, the most expensive private construction project in US history. The story unfolds to reveal a nationwide pattern of ineffective regulations, lax oversight, and dangerous negligence at the highest corporate and government levels, exposing a national safety system in which an average of 12 workers die every day. Ultimately, this is a documentary about America... where the ideals of business and labor collide. The story begins in Las Vegas during the massive building boom of 2006 and follows the personal stories of a gruff Ironworker who loses his brother and a mother who loses her son in tragic workplace accidents. Both take on a system that is hard to navigate and filled with blame, money and partisan politics. Covering a span of nearly 10 years and 2 administrations, the film features interviews from former Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich, former Congressman, George Miller, Pulitzer Prize winning reporter for The Las Vegas Sun, Alexandra Berzon, as well as many other federal and local officials and family members who have lost loved ones in this gripping tale of the human cost of labor in our country. (Palm Beach International Film Festival)