Structural Issues:

By Mason Soto & Georgie Hicks

Editor’s note: Certain names of Evergreen employees have been changed for fear of retaliation from the administration.

On Mar. 20, 2019 the U.S. Department of Labor opened two investigations at Evergreen regarding health and safety complaints.

These investigations follow a Facilities Services employee lodging a number of claims including: lack of training, exposure to numerous hazardous materials, and a “Wild West Culture” regarding accountability from the administration, safety of the employees, and ecological hazards.

“That’s one of my biggest complaints, that if it is dangerous to be down there, nobody told us, and nobody is telling us to this day.”

The labor dispute also relates to the ongoing restructuring of facilities, as well as, worker experiences during the snowstorm that closed campus this February. During the suspended operations, employee Ricky Haney suffered a hernia while working a 51-hour shift, and student workers were involved in fueling emergency generators throughout the utility tunnels along with Haney and others.

Current Operations

Facilities Services main functions are groundskeeping, construction, custodial work, engineering, and maintenance services throughout the college, as in places such as the Central Utility Plant, which contains the school’s industrial heating and cooling equipment. Ricky Haney has worked at the school since 2016, and currently works at the Central Utility Plant. He alleges that during his time here he has seen a deterioration of procedures, administrative accountability, and worker morale.

As a Maintenance Mechanic 2, Haney’s duties include operating and maintaining the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems, and as an assistant at the plant, though he said he often works elsewhere, and finds himself doing more than what he signed up for.

Over the past few years of budget cuts, multiple workers allege the consolidation of positions and increase in individual duties, with little or no change in job classification or pay.

Haney said his supervisors convinced him to go through the Cole Industries program “Full Steam Ahead” to start as a boiler operator, and secure a job among the layoffs in the summer of 2017. After he completed training and began work assisting the single current boiler operator, he realized that his job classification did not mention steam, nor was his pay adjusted for the work he was doing.

Haney says this is a problem in other departments as well. “We’re talking about a substantial amount of compensation they’re not getting because of the way they classify the jobs.”

Drennon told the Journal that boiler operations are minimal and more safe since the system was automated in the past decade, and that the school has had trouble hiring more full time operators. “Would I love to have another boiler operator? Yes. But worst case scenario, [we lose the current operators], we would just contract out to Cole Industries,” said Drennon.

On Feb. 20, Ricky Haney sent a list of complaints to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The list includes employees working alone, with no radio, in hazardous conditions and mechanical operations; a lack of proper training or a system for tracking the trainings; lack of proper protective equipment; inadequate disposal and handling of hazardous materials; chemical spills; false reporting and safety tests; disabled safety monitoring; and high voltage panels exposed to regular flooding. They also allege repeated exposure to deteriorating asbestos in facilities, and exposure to the pathogenic bacteria legionella in the cooling towers, with no tracking of these exposures.

Last November, samples from the utility tunnels that run beneath campus were tested by an external company NVL Labs, and tested positive for asbestos. Asbestos is legally allowed to be around workers if undamaged and properly contained, but photos shared with the journal by workers from the tunnels show damaged insulation and fibrous material poking out from around pipes. Multiple employees we spoke to alleged routine contact with asbestos, as well as chlorine exposure in the pool operations without protective gear and legionella exposure in the cooling towers.

Haney said of working with asbestos, “This has been an ongoing thing for so long that the running joke we have between each other, you know, the gallows humor, is we know what it smells like.”

One worker, under the pseudonym Jacob, said that he was never directly told by Drennon or Ward that there was asbestos or what the exact dangers were, and that it is still difficult to understand what danger the workers have been put in. Jacob saw emails confirming identification of asbestos in November, and abatement in January, but none of this info was shared widely. “That’s one of my biggest complaints, that if it is dangerous to be down there, nobody told us, and nobody is telling us to this day.”

Evergreen’s asbestos procedures from 2010 say that asbestos inspections “must be given to employees working on in-house construction, renovation, demolition or repair before the project starts.” It also states that workers are not authorized to clean up asbestos containing material, and that depending on deterioration affected areas should be isolated.

“All my staff know, if you see anything that you think is asbestos, you have to assume it is, and you have to report it for testing,” Drennon said. He explained that there are regular abatement contracts, including two currently being scheduled.

Safety Problems with the Main Switchgear

Haney expressed concern about conditions of the Main Voltage Switchgear as well, which distributes power to campus and is located outside the Central Utility Plant, running to transformers in the utility tunnels. Evergreen’s 2014 Master Plan also mentions the need for updates to the switchgear and panels in the buildings dating back to the 1970s, which were “at or beyond their expected usable life.”

Besides being outdated, Haney said the main switchgear is infested with rodents and has been operated by workers without proper training or protection. Another facilities worker, under the pseudonym Joshua, said that he has witnessed workers with little training using sticks to maneuver the contractors at the switchgear that are dangerous to touch.

While working what would be a 51 hour shift, Haney suffered an inguinal hernia for which he filed a claim through Labor & Industries.

Drennon told the journal that work on the switchgear is contracted out to Taurus Industries, and that no Evergreen staff have worked there for two years, though this could not be confirmed in time for publication. The school’s Critical Power plan from 2016 outlines a number of updates to safety operations and calls for a new main switch gear, with new buildings to protect its elements. Drennon did not offer a timeline for this plan, but said, “We’re getting rid of what I would call an old potentially dangerous switchgear to a new reliable medium voltage switchgear.” The new switchgear will be operable from fifty feet away from the breakers.

Haney said that OSHA investigators told him they are sending High Voltage Investigators to report on these claims.

RAD Workers Complain

Student RAD workers have also come forward with complaints of safety issues and cover-up. Following the alleged flooding at the HCC Mechanical Room, multiple workers who have asked not to be named said they saw exposed electrical panels and power tools submerged in water. The students also allege that then-Assistant Director of Residential Facilities Jaymie Lacina called lead student workers into a meeting to tell them to keep quiet about the incident, or risk losing their jobs. One student worker told the journal that Jaymie directed workers to keep the doors of the Mechanical Room closed so that people would not see what was going on, as well as to not spread information about the hazardous conditions.

Hot Spot Still Hot

Safety issues around what is referred to as the Hot Spot, marked off by fencing and signs near Student Residences B Dorm, have also come up as part of the workers’ worries. Haney said he began checking the surface temperature without a work order, “so people would eventually make enough noise to make something happen.” Still, since Haney and a few others were sent to work on the active steam line, cutting through the concrete — then ordered to stop due to billowing steam — there has been no noticeable work at the site. In video shared with the journal, the surface temperature registers at over 160 degrees fahrenheit. Human skin burns at 106 degrees. Haney said he fears a ‘catastrophic disaster’ if no action is taken.

These allegations from various facilities groups are particularly concerning since Evergreen’s Health and Safety Committee in charge of dealing with these issues has not been fully active since 2016. Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator Matt Lebens sent an email in April that said, “Member participation rate (~50%) and overall committee output have been, and continue to be, insufficient.”

Fallout from Snowpocalypse

The mid-February snowstorm that closed campus centered many of the complaints workers shared. While most campus activities were closed during the storm, many facilities staff were still scheduled to clear snow and keep the campus generators working. Haney and fellow facilities employees were part of this group, though he and many others had not done suspended operations work before. During the weekend from Feb. 9 to Feb. 11, the number of people on campus dwindled, and Haney worked for 30 hours before getting a break. While working what would be a 51 hour shift, Haney suffered an inguinal hernia for which he filed a claim through Labor & Industries.

According to Haney’s report, the hernia happened after he was refueling emergency diesel generators in the utility tunnels for hours, in a static position. Drennon officially doubted these claims in communications with Human Resources, where he said that the generators have been fueled the same way for 28 years, that he and William Ward both told Haney to go home and get some rest ahead of his injury, and that, “this was not anything that we asked him to do.” Drennon was not on campus during this weekend, as text messages between Central Utility Plant workers confirm. Drennon did send a message to the group of workers on the evening of Feb. 10 saying, “Please make sure before you all go home that we have the generators tops [sic] off and the fans scheduled to run 24/7.”

Workers and Drennon have also told the journal that student workers were directed to re-fuel the diesel generators in the tunnels beneath campus during the suspended operations.

Kyle Flynn, a worker in the construction group within facilities, who was also there during the snowstorm said he spoke to student workers during that time, and was told that Drennon had requested them to help re-fuel. Flynn worked alongside students loading diesel onto the cart vehicles for travel through the tunnels, and said that he found the work “unusual.” As he said, “I would describe it as, frantically driving up and down to fill up the diesel, and driving it back under the tunnels, and constantly doing that all night.”

Haney explained he was uncomfortable with students working with the diesel generators without protective equipment, and took on the static position that caused his injury to avoid involving student workers in the process.

Flynn said it was dirty work, with diesel spilling onto the workers’ clothes. He knows that having not done that work before, his training was limited, and the students’ training even more limited.

Workers also described questionable calls by Ward during the storm, including having janitorial staff clearing snow without the required clothing, since their footwear and outfits are meant for indoor work. At least one Resident Assistant has alleged similar issues, including threats of job actions if workers did not show up to shovel snow, for twelve hour shifts throughout the week. The worker felt they were not compensated fairly for their time, and that the dining credits and “RA Appreciation Day” offered by administration after complaints did little to quell resentment.

After the storm ended, facilities workers expected the same pay allotted during previous suspended operations, including time and a half plus hour-for-hour paid time off. Many did receive these hours, but were later told by management that the hours had only shown up because of a computer glitch, so they were removed. One worker said he saw more than 30 hours removed from his paid time off. Eventually workers were told that they would not receive paid leave compensation. Another worker, under the pseudonym Steven, said, “If people knew they weren’t going to get paid [like they expected], they wouldn’t have stayed and worked fifty hours.”

On Mar. 6, staff protested the lack of pay from the snowstorm in a rally on Red Square, organized through the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union and supported by the IWW General Education Union. When they delivered a letter of grievances to the President’s office, they tried to meet with Bridges, but ended up leaving the letter with the secretary. “The only fair thing I can say, I agree that I think compensation for the work that they do in situations like that, I would love to see my staff get paid more,” Drennon said, “but that’s between them and the union.”

David, another facilities worker under a pseudonym, said that when workers reached out to the Washington Federation of State Employees union representative for help drafting the list of grievances, they received little support. The union representative could not be contacted in time for publication.

Admin Respond

On May 7, Ward sent a staff email that listed a number of plans facilities intended on implementing in the future, including research into new emergency generator procedures, new snow equipment, elevator safety compliance, and the formulation of a new safety council.

Haney responded in another email, and said, “This sudden outward interest in health/safety is clearly a smokescreen you are putting out to cover the fact that TESC has been in non-compliance w/OSHA safety & health regulations for many years and on several different fronts.”

The journal sent a request for comment to Ward, Drennon, Bridges, and other administration regarding worker complaints. On June 1, Public Relations Manager Allison Anderson sent a response, which included the statements that, “No students were required to work in utility tunnels,” and, “Evergreen remains compliant in safety requirements and immediately marks all zones with asbestos or any other hazard for sampling and analysis.”

In response to issues around the snow days, the email said, “In the spirit of community during the unusual weather event in February, students and staff came together and worked to support refueling generators during the snowstorm. They were under direct supervision. Those who did not wish to participate were not required to do so.”On June 11, Evergreen’s Classified Staff Union are holding a “Brown Bag Lunch event to support Ricky Haney and his return to work,” per a group email. The email calls classified workers to show their support for Haney during his meetings with Labor and Industries, and to show the administration that retaliation will not be tolerated. The email also includes allegations about ongoing safety issues, saying, “There are very serious safety concerns on campus relating to asbestos abatement, chemical spills, etc. especially in areas on campus most out of the public eye. We all need to be able to work in a safe environment and have the proper training and equipment to do our jobs with minimal risk of injury or illness. The safety issues currently make this impossible. This must be addressed immediately!”

Temps & More Problems

Beyond the wider issues, multiple workers have told the journal of being assigned tasks outside of their classification, such as, felling trees, performing managerial tasks, and time tracking of fellow employees.

These new responsibilities for employees come as the school hires more temporary staff and makes cuts all around, leaving positions unfilled as workers retire. In response to this allegation by employees, Drennon said, that for the Central Utility Plant, “To say that we prefer temporary staff would go against everything we stand for.”

Drennon explained the general loss of staff throughout facilities as follows: “Because of low enrollment and our budget being cut, it’s been very difficult to replace people that have left on retirement, or people that have gotten jobs elsewhere.”

One facilities worker, Adam (a pseudonym), is concerned about the way the college uses temps, and said, “I think it can create some safety issues because they’re not used to working with the crew. We spend a lot of time training temps, fixing things that get messed up, and then they ship them off and bring in others,” said Adam. “That whole concept of how they treat people, they don’t have to pay them any benefits.” Adam also felt that some workers who are classified as temps should be offered full time positions, and, mentioning a fellow employee, he said,  “In my mind, someone who’s given ten years to the college should not be a temp.”

Safety is a major concern for workers as staffing decreases, as one worker in the motor pool explained he has had to work alone in the shop a number of times. He expressed fear of what would happen if he was alone and an accident occured, “It could be a day or two before anyone finds me, ya know?”

A few motor pool employees believe that they are being pressured to quit so that the school can close the operations and contract the work out, while workers in other facilities have similar worries about the transition to less unionized workers. There is sentiment among at least ten facilities workers we spoke with that the school is interested in contracting, cutting corners, and approving inadequate operations for the sake of saving money.

Others described years of of safety violations: below standard safety procedures, lack of training, standing on milk crates, faulty ladders, and a lack of sufficient clothing to protect from hazardous conditions.

Workers say that Environmental Health and Safety Coordinator Matt Lebens and Maintenance Supervisor Michael Drennon have known about these issues for years, but made no change. There was also a strong perception among employees that things have worsened in the past year since Associate Vice President of Facilities Services William Ward took over management, and many accused Ward of bullying and intimidation.