Union: Drivers of major Las Vegas taxi firm strike

Union: Drivers of Las Vegas' second-largest taxi company strike

LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A union official says members of a Las Vegas taxicab drivers union went out on strike early Sunday.

Nicole Korkolis says the strike by drivers at Las Vegas' second-largest taxi company began right after midnight.

There was no way to determine the walkout's impact but it comes at one of city's busiest times, with fans taking in four major college basketball tournaments and bettors flocking to sports books during March Madness.

The Industrial Technical Professional Employees Union Local 4873 said the company unilaterally implemented a contract rejected by 70 percent of the membership.

Korkolis, who is national spokeswoman for the union, says she has reports that about 400 cabs so far have returned to the yard.

The union says 1,250 of the 1,703 drivers for Yellow-Checker-Star Transportation are union members. It's unknown how many planned to participate.

Officials for the company and the city's Taxicab Authority didn't immediately return calls for comment.