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About Eugene weekly. (Eugene, Oregon) 1993-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2013)
CAPSTONE CONSTRUCTION UNDER LABOR INVESTIGATION Construction on Capstone’s 13th and Olive student housing project is continuing, but representatives from the Pacifi c Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters (PNWRCC) say that after complaints from workers employed by multiple contractors, the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries (BOLI) and other agencies are investigating the project. “We had a lot of workers come forward complaining about unpaid overtime, checks being withheld, oftentimes for weeks or even a month at a time, and the various sanitary and safety complaints,” PNWRCC spokesperson Ben Basom says. General contractor Construction Enter- prises Inc. (CEI) of Franklin, Tenn., is overseeing the project, but Basom says that the ultimate responsibility falls on Capstone as the development owner. According to Basom, the availability of adequate bathroom facilities was one problem. “The bathtubs in some of the units being used as toilets. People were urinating and defecating inside the bathrooms there,” he says. “People were urinating inside the walls to avoid having to take bathroom breaks and things like that.” An orange fl ier posted around downtown asks unhappy workers on the Capstone project to call the local PNWRCC offi ce at 344-5344. The fl ier asks workers if they were paid in cash, not paid overtime or denied breaks, and says “You may be owed money!” Capstone’s Eugene spokesperson, Pat Walsh, says, “Until late last week, Capstone and CEI were not aware of the union’s allegations concerning subcontractors working on the site. The union has refused our request to review their report; however, Capstone and CEI do take the allegations seriously.” PNWRCC has received a lot of verbal complaints from workers who wish to remain anony- mous and four or fi ve formal written complaints, Basom says. “Oftentimes these workers work under a culture of fear,” he says. CONTINUED P. 10 >>> Join business and community leaders as we celebrate our progress and continue to advance our shared vision for economic prosperity. Expert panels will discuss opportunities in areas of regional strength, including: • Education Technology • Food and Beverage Production • Specialized Manufacturing TIME: DATE: PLACE: 7:30am - 11:30am Thursday, November 14 Ford Alumni Center, University of Oregon This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required. For more information or to register, please visit Eugenechamber.com/events WHICH PURCHASE COULD BE ON US? MICHELE NORRIS NPR’S RACE CARD PROJECT IN EUGENE “Black man interrogated. White mom ignored,” McKenzie Messer. “I don’t exist for your curiosity,” Gordon Nagayama Hall. “Where are you from? No. Really?” Alisa Caban. NPR special correspondent Michele Norris’ The Race Card project asks peo- ple to explore their thoughts about race, ethnicity and cultural identity in six words. Norris has been collecting these stories for three years and some have been heard, and the longer stories behind them told, on public radio’s Morning Edition. Norris brings these stories to the University of Oregon on Nov. 13 and is asking Oregonians for their six-word stories. Rita Radostitz of the UO’s Division of Student Affairs says the impetus to bring Norris to campus stemmed from an R-G article on The Race Card Project last year. Radostitz says that Norris’ talk and UO’s participation in the project are part of a yearlong exploration of identity through the school’s Center on Di- versity and Community. Topics for the year will include race, gender, sexuality, ethnicity and more, and a TEDxUOregon is planned for the spring with “ideas worth sharing” focusing on identity and creativity. Radostitz says about 150 race cards have already been submitted, and the school is pushing for more. The UO currently has a page on theracecardproject. com with submissions. Radostitz wrote and posted two six-word stories of her own, “Parenting through a prism of race,” and “This mother’s eyes see race dif- ferently.” Radostitz is the mother of twin daughters who are Ethiopian by birth, “so I am constantly having to take race into account in my parenting,” she says. Norris will speak 7 pm Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the UO’s Erb Memorial Union Ballroom. The free tickets are sold out, but the event will be a livestream at the EMU, and there is a waiting list for possible tickets. Local NPR affi liate KLCC will simulcast Norris’ appearance on OPB’s Think Out Loud from the UO cam- pus at noon. To submit a race card go to wkly.ws/1m6, and to learn more about UO’s “ex- plore identity” project go to exploreidentity.uoregon.edu. — Camilla Mortensen ANY OF THEM. We will cover one randomly selected Northwest Visa Card transaction each week, up to $500 value. Will you be this week’s lucky member? www.nwcu.com Check Facebook for the latest winners. Offer ends 12/31/13. All loans subject to approval. Rates, terms, and conditions are subject to change without notice and may vary based on creditworthiness. Visit our website for more information on rates, fees, and other cost information, as applicable. If you would like to enter to win up to $500 without opening or using a credit card account with us, please fi ll out a 3x5 card with your information and drop it off at the nearest Northwest Community Credit Union branch. eugeneweekly.com • November 7, 2013 9
