Letter to Editor | An open letter to Eastsound Water Users

I want to express my support for Grace and her family, and to share that what’s described in this article closely mirrors my own experience at Eastsound Water Users Association.

I worked at EWUA for four years. During that time, and especially toward the end of my employment, I experienced a persistent pattern of intimidation, undermining, and targeting after raising concerns. There was no clear grievance process, no updated employee handbook, and no independent HR support. Instead, concerns were often met with interrogations by both the Board and the General Manager, rather than fair or neutral review.

I ultimately resigned because the work environment became toxic and unsustainable. The stress of trying to do my job while navigating fear of retaliation and lack of basic workplace protections took a real toll.

What concerns me most now is that employees who remain at EWUA appear to be dealing with the same conditions: no meaningful grievance pathway, unresolved HR issues, and a culture where raising concerns can result in pressure or scrutiny rather than solutions. That environment makes it incredibly difficult for staff to speak openly or advocate for safety and accountability.

Grace’s situation stands out not only because of the seriousness of the underlying incident, but because of the prolonged inaction that followed. When issues linger for months or years without resolution, it affects not just the individuals involved, but the health of the organization as a whole.

I hope the Board recognizes the human impact of these patterns and takes meaningful steps to address them—for employees, members, and the broader community.

I consider myself fortunate to be able to live in a community where I sometimes fall asleep while reading the sheriff’s blotter in the local paper. As a result I guess I sometimes miss out on something… something like this. I had no idea that Grace had been assaulted in the parking lot of Eastsound Water back in 2024. As I consider someone / anyone being assaulted on Orcas Island, (or anywhere) to be unacceptable, and that something like this is everybody’s business, I appreciate your bringing this up in the vein that you did, and hope that you might find an amicable solution before going full blown litigation.

Meanwhile, for clarification–as you’re asserting that Grace, while working at the Eastsound Water Co. was assaulted in the EWUA parking lot during the time of her employment, at a time when you further assert that she had been / was being harassed… I’m led to ask, harassed by who?

And, was this a physical, or a verbal, (or both), attack? Was Grace harmed? Is she O.K.? Was the assault related to her employment at the water company? Did it involve another water company official? If so, who? What is the nature of your complaint, the damages, the relief that you seek?

As the union representative working with EWUA employees, I want to echo what Dan and Grace are raising here. Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon for people to have to follow up two, three, or even more times just to get a response from EWUA leadership. This has been a common theme since I came into the picture early last year.
Grace, I’m truly sorry for the poor treatment you’ve experienced and the stress that comes with being disregarded. Timely, respectful, professional communication should be a baseline expectation for any organization serving the public.

It’s absurd that this pattern of behavior with EWUA persists. Clearly there are major structural issues driven by management and/or certain board members. We had a chance to vote them out over what appeared to be gross financial mismanagement but it didn’t work due to a protracted smear campaign against those who had shined some light on these problems.

The numbers cited by Mr. Riordan in the post above are shocking proof that this administrative incompetence is having direct financial impacts on EWUA members. No organization on this island, particularly a critical public utility, should be allowed to operate under such gross mismanagement. In my opinion it’s time for the state Attorney General to get involved, as this issue cannot be meaningfully resolved at the local level.