July 21, 2011 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Mason County Forest Products settles lawsuit,
By Journal Staff In addition to paying the women $900,000, the company
agreed to a three-year consent decree. Although the Mason
Mason County Forest Products has agreed to pay County ForestProducts sawmill stopped operation in2010,
$900,000 to two female workers to settle a federal lawsuit the decree requires parent company Long Bell Ventures,
alleging sexual harassment, sex discrimination and retalia- LLC to implement corrective measures such as comprehen-
tion, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission sive training at any new sawmill facility it may open in the
(EEOC) announced this week. next three years.
The EEOC's investigation showed that two women faced "I stood up for myself and, ultimately, through this pro-
widespread hostility, and that upper management at the cess, for other women," said Debbie Berntsen, one of the two
mill chose to ignore the harassment, saying, "Boys will be discrimination victims. "Companies like this need to know
boys." Their supervisor made it clear that he did not want that they can't allow women to be treated this way in any
women on his crew, using demeaning comments, physical workplace."
intimidation and verbal threats. He condoned and partici- EEOC Regional Attorney William R. Tamayo pointed out
pated in crude and misogynistic language reducing women that more than a third of all charges seen by the Commis-
to body parts, the EEOC said. sion involve retaliation, and that, for the first time ever, re-
The male employees targeted their female co-workers taliation under all statutes (36,258) surpassed race (35,890)
with lewd comments and gestures, displayed sex toys and as the most frequently filed charge at the EEOC in fiscal
pornography in a locker, and positioned the women's porta- year 2010.
ble lavatory for optimal surveillance. Sometimes, the EEOC Tamayo said, "Employers who try to solve a harassment
said, they would lock the female workers inside and push problem by getting rid of the people who speak out about it
the unit back and forth, sloshing the contents around them. will only add to that statistic. We hope this settlement will
Ultimately, the supervisor fired the two women, resulting in remind employers to respond properly to complaints about
the all-male crew he frequently promoted as his ideal, harassment or discrimination, with timely investigation
Sex discrimination, including sexual harassment, and and steps to end any misconduct found."
retaliation for complaining about it violate Title VII of the EEOC Supervisory Trial Attorney John Stanley said,
Civil Rights Act of 1964. After first attempting to reach a "Management can make a huge difference in setting the
pre-litigation settlement through conciliation, the EEOC tone for its work force. Making the excuse that 'Boys will
filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of be boys' is sexist and patronizing. Surely it's appropriate
Washington. Seattle private attorney Scott Blankenship to set the expectation that your employees will act as ma-
represented the two victims and served as co-lead counsel ture adults working in a professional, respectful environ-
with the EEOC. ment free of harassment."
Prices good through July 31, 2011
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The Mason County Commission honored
for "heroic efforts" Tuesday.
By NATALIE JOHNSON
The Mason County Board of Com-
missioners honored Mason County
Fire Protection District 4 Chief Bob
Burbridge this week with a certificate
for "heroic efforts."
"Chief Burbridge in my opinion is
one of the unsung heroes in this coun-
ty," commissioner Jerry Lingle said.
"He is an incredible human being and
I am honored to know him and call
him my friend."
Regularly
Love
Journal photo by Natalie Jolmso~
Fire District 4 Chief Bob 13urbridge with a certificate
•
On June 23, while off duty and out
of his fire district, Lingle said Bur-
bridge took "quick action to save a
life."
Burbridge responded to an incident
near the Shelton Red Apple store on
State Route 3 when a Mason Transit
Authority driver suffered cardiac ar-
rest on his bus.
"Chief Burbridge happened to be in
the area," Lingle said. "It was a hairy
situation."
Burbridge started CPR immediate-
ly - the driver was later transported
to Providence St. Peter Hospital in
Olympia and survived the experience.
"Had it not been for Chief Bur-
bridge this individual would have
been in dire straights," Lingle said.
Burbridge humbly accepted his cer-
tificate and said that he was happy to
use CPR to save a life.
"CPR works," he said. "It's one year
older than me and it worked on me as
an infant. It feels great to pay it for-
ward."
0tb '
Regularly
Wishing You 50 More
Love from --
Bob, Beth, Barry, & Bonny
F~-condt~te,
t,
PRESSURE WASHERS
PAINT SPRAYERS
SCAFFOLDING
... AND MUCH
IHardware
Monday-Saturday 8:00-6:30
Sunday 9-5
First & Mill. Shelton
4264373 or 426-2411
~JI
prim plus tox • Limited to slo& on bond
Shelton-Mason County Journal - Thursday, July 21,2011 - Page A-5