Kimberly Kuchman-Miles


by Tom Price

Longshore worker Kimberly Kuchman-Miles lost her life Aug. 13 when a container fell off an Evergreen ship and crushed her. She was part of the lashing crew that had just gone on break when the can fell, three other workers were able to make it to safety. She was a month past her 40th birthday and the first longshore woman worker killed on West Coast docks.

The accident is still under investigation, by the appropriate agencies.

Kimberly Kuchman-Miles was buried Aug. 20. She was born in Olympia and spent her early life in that area. She attended Timberline High School and her surviving parents, Tom and Ginni Kuchman still live in Olympia, where her family had been homesteaders. She is also survived by her two children, Joshua Miles, age 10 and Brittany Miles, age 14, and her partner of eight years, David Zahradnik. She is also survived by her brothers Kelly and Jeffrey and two sets of grandparents.

Local 23 held a memorial for Kuchman-Miles Aug. 25. It included a silent auction and an open mic so people could share their experiences. Area Longshore Locals and organized labor came out in force supporting the memorial and the trust fund. Her friends and family have established a trust fund for her children at Fife Commercial Bank, 5209 Pacific Highway East, Fife, WA 98424 - Phone # 253-922-5100.