Picketing at Junction construction site

| Development | West Seattle news

Just received a flurry of e-mails wondering about loud picketing at the Capco Plaza/Altamira Apartments site north across Alaska from Jefferson Square. Heading out to check; there have been short bursts of picketing at several West Seattle construction sites in recent weeks, and it’s previously been the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters targeting a subcontractor at a site (here’s our story from March; here’s our story with video from late February; we also saw and heard them, chanting via bullhorn, at an Alki remodeling site about two weeks ago). Often it’s a fairly short demonstration, although the one in late February went on for a few hours. (Added: Two e-mails say the signs indicate the target is K2MG.)

2:42 PM UPDATE: Went by just before 2 pm – unless they’ve come back since, it appears to be over.

2:10 PM WEDNESDAY: Just left in comments:

I am an owner of K2MG and I apologize to all of you who were effected by the Carpenter union protest at the Junction Construction site.

K2MG is an Open Merit Shop, which believes in allowing the employees the right to help in determining wages and working conditions. K2MG believes in the system of Free Enterprise and that, the employer must have concern for the general welfare of the employees and that there must be a fair compensation for work performed. Similarly, we believe that the employee has an obligation for satisfactory performance of assigned work.

The PNRCC claims they have a labor dispute with K2MG however; the description of a Labor Dispute is when the company’s employees are unhappy with their employer. K2MG can proudly say our employees are very happy with the wages they receive along with our benefit package K2MG provides. The Unions main goal appears to be to force our company out of business by their negative and untrue campaign to discredit our company and others like ours with intent to gain a larger market for the local and national Union drywall contractors.

Mary T. April 28, 2009 (9:01 am)

Thanks for the update — I could hear this from my house (38th at Edmunds) and was wondering if it was just construction noise or what. My dogs woke me up barking at it!

charlabob April 28, 2009 (9:32 am)

Noisy picketing implies a Point of View, not a neutral statement. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen (or can imagine) silent labor union picketing.

I would hope this article eventually includes a report on the issues involved, from all sides.

Christopher Boffoli April 28, 2009 (10:23 am)

I had to walk through the picket line to get to the gym. Does that make me a scab? :-)
.
It WAS the loudest group of picketers I’ve ever encountered. I rather like it better when they inflate those big rats. It makes it look like a some sort of dark, low rent Macy’s parade float or something. Much more festive than just random noise-making.

Melissa April 28, 2009 (10:31 am)

Chris, we’re talking about people’s livelihoods here. In tight economic times, far more than times of plenty, people in positions of power try to maintain their own financial and market positions by cutting costs that they see as unnecessary. Too often that involves cutting workers’ living wages and jeopardizing their safety. If that’s the case here, these folks should be making a bloody racket.

Or, to put it another way, it ain’t about being festive; it’s about protecting working people’s lives and livelihoods.

WSB April 28, 2009 (10:40 am)

Changed it to loud. We have contacted both sides in these stories before. Never a reply.

dd April 28, 2009 (10:45 am)

So, who are they picketing? And what for? Please don’t say “unfair wages”. What are the details?
What do the carpenters want? To work at the site?
What does the general contractor want?
Who is doing the work the carpenters want? Why do the carpenters think they should be doing it?
What wages is the contractor paying the folks who are doing the work?
Is the GC paying below minimum wage to unskilled day laborers? Or are they paying a decent wage to skilled laborers who just happen to be non union?
This is a hot topic and without details it often comes down to peoples opinions without facts.

Kevin April 28, 2009 (11:07 am)

The picketers had signs and a barely understandable chant about the company not providing “area standard wages and benefits”.

I’m glad I didn’t live close enough to be disturbed by them; I just walked by on my way to the bus

WSB April 28, 2009 (11:52 am)

Honestly, since this is a repeat occurrence, we wouldn’t have posted about it again except that we got about a dozen notes saying “what is going on” and people thinking it was a strike, so we wanted to at least post a few facts – it’s a demonstration, here’s who’s picketing whom. We have also tried talking to the people AT the protest sites and they wouldn’t comment.

KBear April 28, 2009 (1:41 pm)

They won’t tell you why they’re protesting? That’s an odd strategy.

Brian April 28, 2009 (2:40 pm)

Unions… BAH!

Tina - K2MG Interiors Inc April 29, 2009 (2:07 pm)

I am an owner of K2MG and I appoliage to all of you who were effected by the Carpenter union protest at the Junction Construction site.

K2MG is an Open Merit Shop, which believes in allowing the employees the right to help in determining wages and working conditions. K2MG believes in the system of Free Enterprise and that, the employer must have concern for the general welfare of the employees and that there must be a fair compensation for work performed. Similarly, we believe that the employee has an obligation for satisfactory performance of assigned work.

The PNRCC claims they have a labor dispute with K2MG however; the description of a Labor Dispute is when the company’s employees are unhappy with their employer. K2MG can proudly say our employees are very happy with the wages they receive along with our benefit package K2MG provides. The Unions main goal appears to be to force our company out of business by their negative and untrue campaign to discredit our company and others like ours with intent to gain a larger market for the local and national Union drywall contractors.

Eric April 30, 2009 (7:44 am)

I’m glad that K2MG is speaking on behalf of their workers as they know whats best for them.We rarely see such paternalistic benevolence in this century. Interesting to note that the owner of K2MG’s own daughter chose to be a union apprentice with another employer so she could have a living wage, benefits, medical coverage and a safe work site.Good enough for her daughter but not good enough for her employees?

Sorry, comment time is over.