Thurston County public roads workers are speaking out against "toxic" working conditions under current leadership.
On Tuesday, Miguel Marlowe shared a public post on Nextdoor that purported to be on behalf of an alliance of former Public Works Road Operations workers.
The post described the roads division as being in crisis under the leadership of Road Operations Manager Mike Lowman and Supervisor Nick Bemis. Marlowe said the division has critical vacancies and experienced workers have been driven out by bullying and mismanagement that have created a hostile work environment.
"Experienced employees have been driven out, and the few who remain are overworked, undervalued, and struggling to keep up with the demands of maintaining our roads," Marlowe shared in his post. "This isn't just an issue of poor leadership; it's a direct threat to public safety and the basic services taxpayers expect and rely on."
He's not the only one speaking out. The Olympian independently spoke to six former roads workers and one current worker who have voiced the same concerns. Former workers also submitted letters to county leadership over the past several weeks, asking them to investigate and address these problems.
When reached for comment, Clerk of Board Amy Davis shared a statement with The Olympian, saying Thurston County is committed to a "positive and productive" workplace and is responsive to complaints.
"The county requires and trains supervisor/managers and staff to respond to discrimination, harassment, and retaliation complaints by sending them immediately to the Human Resources department (HR) to respond with appropriate measures," Davis said.
Davis said complaints sent to the media are being reviewed by HR. The Road Operations division is budgeted for 66 full-time employees and 12 positions were open as of Friday.
The county is actively recruiting and training new personnel to fill those vacancies and ensure essential services remain uninterrupted, Davis said.
"Our priority remains clear: maintaining the safety and reliability of Thurston County's roadways while supporting a strong professional workforce," Davis said. "We appreciate our road crews' dedication and the public's trust as we continue working towards these shared goals."
Lowman, Bemis and Thurston County Commission Chair Tye Menser did not respond to a request for comment before publication.
The county's roads division is responsible for maintaining and managing a transportation system with over 1,000 miles of roadway, according to its website. Workers in this division are often out in the field repairing asphalt, clearing roads after storms, and directing traffic during road work and emergencies, to name a few of their activities.
"When leadership fails and qualified workers leave, everyone in Thurston County suffers," Marlowe said in the now-deleted Nextdoor post.
When reached for comment, Marlowe said he's worked at Public Works as a laborer in the Solid Waste Division since 2023. Davis confirmed he was an employee and said Lowman and Bemis have no oversight over Solid Waste division staff.
Though he's not a road worker, Marlowe said he chose to speak out because many road workers are afraid to.
"They're afraid to say anything," Marlowe said. "A lot of them have been working there a long time. I hear a lot from them about mismanagement and they are just getting taken advantage of.
A lot of talent is leaving because of it."
Road workers speak out
Jeff Galbavy, a former maintenance technician, left Road Operations in 2023 after 10 years there. He said the division felt like a good place to work until Lowman came along in 2021.
"I could just see it instantly," Galbavy said. "He was right in the middle of everything and wanting to be in control of every little single thing that went on there. From there, it just kept getting worse."
Based on what he saw as well as what he heard from co-workers, Galbavy said Lowman tended to micromanage employees and talk down to them. He said Lowman did not seem to earnestly consider employee questions or concerns either.
"It sounded like, 'I'm the boss and this what I'm going to do and I don't care what you think,'" Galbavy said.
Allen, a 64-year-old former senior maintenance technician with over 24 years of experience, said there was good camaraderie in the Road Operations division before Lowman arrived.
"Mike Lowman came in and it just totally changed," Allen said. "It was just very toxic, very controlling."
Allen only agreed to speak on the record on the condition The Olympian use a partial name. He said Lowman and Bemis bullied and belittled employees, including him, and encouraged them to snitch on each other.
"I didn't think that kind of behavior was acceptable from employees, let alone managers," Allen said. "So, I separated myself from it."
Allen said he left the Road Operations division in 2022 and then retired from Public Works in 2023. He said many other experienced employees left due to the "toxic" working conditions he described.
"When I left, they said they had lost 230 some years of knowledge with the senior techs and maintenance techs and other people that had left," Allen said.
Another former senior maintenance technician with 19 years experience told The Olympian he left in 2023 due to the constant pressure from Lowman and Bemis.
"It just got the point I was angry going to work every day," the former technician said. "I didn't want to deal with those two. ... My blood pressure was getting up. I was angry all the time and it wasn't good at home here."
He said he took a job in another county that paid $800 less a month. He did not want to reveal his name for fear that speaking out could impact him at his current job.
Three other former employees The Olympian spoke to also wanted to remain anonymous. They all shared similar concerns about Lowman and Bemis.
Joaquin Trejo, currently employed as an assistance maintenance technician, sent a letter to county leadership on Jan. 21 in which he alleged racial discrimination.
"As a proud Hispanic-American, I am writing to address the blatant racial discrimination and inequality I have experienced under the supervision of Roads Operations Manager Mike Lowman and Roads Supervisor Nick Bemis," Trejo's letter said.
Trejo said in his letter that he has been excluded from trainings, unfairly disciplined and passed over for promotion to maintenance technician five times since he started in 2017.
"At least 10 individuals with less seniority and experience than I possess have been promoted," Trejo said in the letter. "The only discernible difference between them and me is the color of my skin and the origin of my name."
Trejo said he decided to go to county leadership rather than the Human Resources department because he's afraid his concerns will be ignored and he will face retaliation.
Soon after the letter was sent, The Olympian asked the county to comment. Clerk of the Board Amy Davis confirmed Trejo was an employee and said employees may file a written or verbal complaint with HR within 180 days of an alleged policy violation.
"Thurston County is committed to maintaining a professional and respectful workplace environment and are currently reviewing the concerns raised," Davis said. "However, it is our practice to not discuss individual employee matters due to privacy concerns."
Those The Olympian spoke to said they wanted to see a change of leadership in the Road Operations division. In his Nextdoor post, Marlowe called on the public to act.
"This is your county, your roads, and your safety at stake," Marlowe said in the post. "Demand accountability. Contact your County Commissioners and County Manager. Encourage them to make leadership changes that benefit employees and residents.
"Tell them it's time to replace Mike Lowman before the situation gets worse. When our roads are poorly managed, understaffed, and left in disrepair, we all pay the price."
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