Seattle City councilmember hopes this never happens again

The allegations of unprofessional conduct by employees of Seattle Tunnel Partners is something city councilman Tom Rasmussen hopes never happens again.

“It’s appalling,” Rasmussen told KIRO Radio’s Dori Monson Show on Wednesday. “They need to be running this project properly, effectively.”

A former employee of Seattle Tunnel Partners, a company employed by the state, alleged that supervisors of a carpentry crew created a hostile environment and demanded employees buy them alcohol in exchange for better hours, KING 5 reported. Sexual harassment was also alleged.

The former employee sent a four-page letter to the Washington State Department of Transportation in January to detail his observations while on the job. The letter stated a supervisor and some employees would work under the influence of alcohol, KING 5 reported.

“It should be a concern for the people of the State of Washington,” Rasmussen said. “Because it’s a state project.”

Seattle Tunnel Partners is a joint venture of Dragados USA and Tutor Perini Corp. Rasmussen said there were meetings with the companies before hiring them, questioning their reputation.

“They would say ‘it’s a whole new team,'” he said.

Everyone involved knew the project would be risky. It needs to be done to help prevent disaster during a major earthquake, Rasmussen said. The project will allow for less congestion and a safer place for pedestrians and bicyclists.

“Also, we get a much, much better waterfront,” he said.

The project will be completed. So much has already been invested, that it wouldn’t make sense to start over, Rasmussen said.

“To start over again would be far, far more expensive and create more delay,” he said.