Following several gruesome workplace accidents, local governments in Southwest Washington are starting to heed calls by building trades unions to keep dangerous contractors off public works projects.
The Port of Longview and City of Vancouver both took steps in June to hire safety consultants to monitor Rotschy Inc., a non-union general contractor with a record of safety violations.
The port awarded Rotschy a $44.6 million contract to expand a rail yard in January. In May, port commissioners voiced concerns about Rotschy’s safety record, which includes a 2023 incident in which a 16-year-old Rotschy employee lost both of his legs after operating a machine he wasn’t legally allowed to operate. In March, the Washington Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) had recommended Clark County prosecutors conduct a criminal investigation into Rotschy’s safety violations…