Union workers carry protest to bridge construction site

MICHAEL BURNHAM THE OLYMPIAN

OLYMPIA -- A morning rally that drew 2,500 state workers to the Capitol on Monday ended at the construction site of the new Fourth Avenue bridge.

About 250 of those who assembled at the Capitol marched toward the western base of the Fourth Avenue bridge shortly after 11 a.m., said Olympia Police Department Lt. Jim Pryde.

Members of Tacoma's Local 612 of the International Union of Operational Engineers and the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters wielded picket signs criticizing Hamilton Construction Co., the bridge corridor project's general contractor.

Both unions have waged unsuccessful attempts to sign work contracts with the non-union company from Springfield, Ore.

Picketers attended the Capitol gathering as a show of solidarity for state union workers, said Carpenters' union organizer Chuck Gotcher.

Last November, the Carpenters' union alleged that Hamilton violated state environmental permits by allowing concrete debris to enter Budd Inlet.

State agencies that administer the permits later ruled that there were no violations.

Last week, union officials filed complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that Hamilton is discriminating against Carpenters' union workers in its hiring practices.

Olympia City Councilman Matthew Green attended the rally as a show of support for the workers.

"When we spend public money on public projects, we should expect the highest level of environmental standards," Green said. "They're not hiring very many union employees and they seem to have dumped a large amount of concrete into the water."

Green said that he will propose that the City Council pass a so-called responsible bidder ordinance, which would allow social issues to factor into bid awards.

The ordinance would require the council to choose project contractors based on their bid proposals as well as other criteria, such as whether they hire union workers or have solid environmental records.

"Without it, you have to take the lowest bidder," Green said.

The Olympian Copyright 2002

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