Point Ruston LLC filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court yesterday against the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, Jobs With Justice Education Fund and individual representatives of both organizations.

The suit alleges that the carpenters union and Jobs With Justice violated federal labor laws prohibiting threatening activities, interfered with contractual relations and prospective business expectancies, trespassed, engaged in property damage and made false and defamatory statements regarding on-site environmental issues and the health and safety of working conditions.

"During the course of the past year, the carpenters' union and Jobs with Justice have participated in protracted, ongoing and escalating threatening activities and spread fear about the environmental safety of our site," said Loren Cohen, manager of legal affairs for Point Ruston developer MC Construction Consultants. "There are no health and safety issues on our site. We're the most regulated site in Tacoma and never have we not been in compliance."

Cohen alleges that the trouble started after the defendants failed to secure a work agreement with MC Construction and were unsuccessful in organizing one of the contracting companies working on the site.

"It has escalated up," Cohen said. "There's been vandalism, the slashing of our tires. We've had enough."

Cohen said a number of the claims in the lawsuit, including alleged violations of the Labor Relations Act, seek damages to be decided in court. Point Ruston LLC is, however, seeking roughly $20 million in damages for defamatory statements to the public about the developer.

The first phase of the Point Ruston project, 36 single-family homes located on the hill that formerly housed the Asarco tower, is complete. The first family moved in six weeks ago, Cohen said.

Eric Franklin, communications director for the Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters, has not yet returned a call requesting comment.