"We Will Continue To Fight" - LKBCTC's Response To The Port's Contracting With Rotschy

A message from Mike Bridges, President of the Longview Kelso Building and Construction Trades Council:

This Wednesday we had a great turn out from Labor at the Port of Longview Commission meeting with approximately 100  concerned labor representatives and rank and file members. 

Unfortunately two of the 3 commissioners stuck to their plan to award the first phase of the IRCE project to apparent low bidder Rotschy Inc. The LKBCTC and its affiliated unions did everything possibly to make Port Staff and the commissioners aware of the hundreds egregious safety violations that Rotschy Inc. has committed in the last few years. 

I want to thank everyone that came out to support this effort. By no means is this over. This is first phase of a three phase project and we will continue to fight for our work that in our opinion should be going to a contractor that not only has the ability to complete the project on time and without costly change orders, but can do that while following the law and keeping its workers safe.

We have the skilled workers in our community ready and willing to do this work and we will continue to fight.

Port Commisioner and IBEW 48 member Evan Jones has supported our efforts 100% so please thank him if you can. In our opinion Commissioners Jeff Wilson and Alan Erickson are out of touch with what labor and our community expects so we will continue to remind them. You can message commissioners through the Port of Longview website.

If reading about this gets you fired up and you would like to help, we will continue to have updates and call to actions listed on here. Stayed tuned!

It will take a coordinated from us and friends of labor to make a difference.

In Solidarity
Mike Bridges
President LKBCTC