REDMOND, Wash. — BNBuilders confirms with KIRO 7 that three individuals were terminated recently for their alleged involvement in an incident at a construction site in Redmond, where a noose was found with a Black carpenter’s name on it. A company spokesperson also stated this was an ongoing investigation and they were still working with Redmond police on the matter. Police are investigating the incident as a hate crime.
Jim Gleason, the PNW Regional Council supervisor of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters, confirmed with KIRO that he knows some of those involved are members of the Northwest Carpenters Union. He says he’s embarrassed and mad about the entire matter.
“That I think the members are a lot more aware and members that are not involved in this s*** will be more active to report now and verify discrimination and harassment on job sites,” Gleason said.
Gleason says the Carpenters Union conducts extensive diversity training with their apprentices and carpenters to ensure an inclusive work environment.
“We spend a lot of time training our members to recognize that our industry is changing. It’s diversified now,” Gleason said.
Gleason says he agrees with the punishment by BNBuilders, but activists like Eddie Rye Jr. say incidents like this show something more.
“We have a serious problem. There’s a shortage of workers, but yet we still have this discrimination. And we have to do something to remedy that,” Rye said.
He believes more needs to be done for those responsible.
“As far as I’m concerned, there has to be some charges brought. And there also has to be transparency We need to know who the people that perpetrated this are,” Rye said.
The investigation isn’t over, according to Gleason and BNBuilders. Gleason hopes everyone can continue to learn and grow from the matter.
“But it is not what a union carpenter is. We are respectful of others. Especially with the apprenticeship side is sensitivity. So, I guess I was disappointed in those members,” Gleason said.
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