Mirror, mirror on the Filth Floor Bragaw shit
house wall, who’s the guiltiest of thum all? Look, anybody associated with the
Alyeska Pipeline Service Company during the 80s leading up to the EXXON Valdez “wreck”,
remember this factoid over your senior moment hemorrhoids. The stain of that
catastrophic environmental disaster of a lifetime, that which lingers on still
today with the stubbornness of “stable” oil hidden away along many miles and miles
of once pristine Prince William Sound shoreline, that stain belongs to Alyeska.
Which means it belongs to the employer’s employees that did nothing to prevent
this mess. It was not a matter of “IF” but “When”, as alcohol abuse and driving
under that influence giant boats that don’t turn on a dime it don’t mix! It
could have been prevented had the Alyeska management’s petrified penis…can’t
speak up, as that “Shoot the Messenger” was an Alyeska trait in full force, and
when one started to speak up be threatened to be thrown out of an open hatch of
a pipeline helicopter! So take a bow, as if you were associated with the “Pipeline
People” during that historic day in March of 89, you share the blame even if
enjoying that Uncle Al “golden poop-shute parachute” in retirement. See, that stain will
never go away, you cannot wash it away in denial, get over it admit it before
it is too late have remorse before that graveside accommodation and we read
about it in the “Alyeska Pipeline People” site, “In Memoriam” another deadhead 6-feet in defeat still in denial. See, it is all Alyeska’s fault, as there came a time in Uncle Al’s
career wherein we were so damn close to enacting a rule-of-the-road in Valdez
of “Hell NO”, no more drunk Joe Hazelwoods, not on our watch. Yes, we were so
damn close to closing that chapter on “I abuse alcohol”. See, in 1979 a small
faction a fraction of the “Valdez Marine Terminal” workforce was successful in voting in a
“UNION”. It was about 10% of the site workforce that “unanimously” voted in
favor of “organized labor” representation, so no big deal. And it was the “fairest”
of elections ever of record the IBEW coached by the AFLCIO. And paying
attention to this “Union” activity, Jesse Carr and the powerful Alaskan Teamsters. And
so, everything leading up to the “vote” was up-and-up, there were no hidden guarantees
or agendas with bribes and was by far the way “organized labor” elections
should be held, free and clear no outside influence or pressure from arm breaking
gangsters. And instead of just accepting the results of this “election” in
favor of that “UNION” and letting the Alyeska “Instrument & Electrical”
trade be under that “organized labor” umbrella, well it was a sick sic’em by Alyeska’s
barnyard dogs in heat surrounded by the pride and joy company attorneys, to do
everything and anything in their power and might with a bottomless pit source
of fighting $loot$ to overthrow this election. And no way in hell would the
NLRB - now sanctioned to hear Alyeska’s “appeal” in reference to Alyeska
Pipeline Service Company vs. the Valdez Instrumentation & Electrical
Workers, Case 19-RC-9016 - no way would this neutral government oversight cop for
everything “Union” ever side with Alyeska, as that would have set a bad
precedence upon “fairness” in any future unionizing activity sea to shining sea. Said again, the “IBEW”
followed the book to the “T” with this election, there was nothing wrong with
the way the entire process was handled and everything was done out in the “open”.
So it was rather odd that Alyeska would waste time and effort for something
that was done with, signed and sealed and delivered that the Valdez “I&E” was
now under the auspices of a “Union”. In any event, we started making plans for
our future, even though the election results in favor of a “Union” by a margin
of 7 to 1 found itself under a worthless “appeal”. And our plans, well one
could not complain about the existing pay with benefits, nor were complaints
about the working conditions at odds as we worked a week-on with a week-off
schedule and went home every night, so plenty of time to mingle with family
affairs along with fishing and hunting opportunity time, so life was good why
so an interest in “organized labor”? It was due to the fact there came early on
after “Oil In” in 1977 a “distrust” factor, that there was a “mis-management mentality”
being carried over from the main headquarters in Anchorage. That which
threatened our well-being and could prove detrimental to the overall objective the
main focus of the 1000-acre facility in Valdez, it was for control of the environment
we called “home”. That is what we bargained for, reassurances for the future as
many of us were raising families in Valdez, and in no way shape or form were the
workers as residents willing to allow the environment to get trashed with “cancer
causing” benzenes the byproduct of receiving 2-million barrels everyday of crude
oil from up north. Yes, a “Union” oversight for assurances those reasons. Now
as Alyeska fort the election results with its Peyronie “crooked dick” attorneys,
we planned our future under a “UNION”. And one thing that came to light during
the aftermath of the election, which had found a temporary side-track afforded
to Alyeska due the NLRB “appeal” review process, it would be just a matter of
time wherein that “stay away” would lose its grip and a salute to the “Union”
would be ours to honor. And the fascination of “organized labor” as an outside
influence that can interfere with all things considered, it was the consideration
upon a “few bad apple” tanker-crews that would show up sober and then with
shore-side furlough commence to get drunk, this was something that would STOP when
the “UNION” charter took effect. With a little time on Alyeska’s side to be
stubborn our election results, during this “appeal” process we held planning
meetings to discuss the finalization of how the relationship between the “I&E”
crew and Alyeska would behave, while under that “UNION” umbrella. At the time we
thought it was unrealistic that Alyeska would “appeal” the workers “choice” a
unanimous vote for the “UNION”, but company attorneys and outsiders make money
that way, telling the Frank Turpin and George Mucus Nelson executives anything
is possible - not in this case as to reiterate, the election was done by the
book and the vote spoke out the desires of the workers as allowed under the
Red, White & Blue! Look, it was the 1980s, and look back on the influence
of the “Alaskan Teamsters” to get that 800-mile Trans-Alaskan-Pipeline built on
time! Now this 25-man “UNION”, small but very powerful, as the “I&E” crew
was one faction that was necessary for the proper and safe operation of the “Terminal”.
Which was necessary for the operation of the “Pipeline”, as one cannot work
without the other. And the “I&E”, well the Instrumentation Technicians and
the Electrical Technicians, when the lights go out who you going to call? That
said, it was a very powerful small footprint organization now under a “UNION”.
Our plan was to bring to the attention of Alyeska executives without haste this
“I abuse alcohol” problem with the tanker crews, offering up a “non-negotiable”
element of surprise. What we would demand was Simple Simon, that the “Causeways”
that lead from land-ahoy to the ships at the loading berth docks, these 1400-foot
long “Classified Hazardous” ramps be restricted to Alyeska workers only and
when an “Owner Company” agent shows up to give the blessing for a loaded tanker
to set sail, that agent be escorted by an Alyeska representative. And yes so
Simple Simon I reiterate, as it was already a “Restricted Zone” just went
abused the first few years the "Terminal" was in operation and that is all that was
required, Alyeska’s management to take sides with our concerns and deploy
Alyeska’s “Terminal” Security to oversee this problem and make sure “visitors” adhered
to the access restrictions. See, this would then deny the tanker crews from
shore-side “furlough”. It means they would have to stay onboard doing chores
when a tanker was being filled with “crude oil”, yes stuck onboard for an
11-hour duration one-hour less then the normal workday for an Alyeska employee
at the “Terminal”. No big deal, if no chores catch up on sleep, do some reading,
fish off the bow as salmon came right through the Berth#5 water-way and these
modern ships were a luxury with pool tables and all kinds of other amenities.
There was no need for that shore-side furlough except to continue on the Joe
Hazelwood namesake and legacy in “I abuse alcohol”. And this was not a
hardship, to restrict access along the “Causeways” and limit that shore-side
leave, as the crews that came aboard the Amerada Hess ships, they did not get
that shoreside “furlough” due citizenship concerns - so those crews remained onboard
doing chores. Said again, restricting the tanker crews was no big deal. And if
no more shore-side freewheel’n was allowed, no more “I abuse alcohol” what was
becoming a common theme scene due so easy access to the town of Valdez. See,
the Valdez “I&E” were getting tired of tanker crews taking advantage of
that shore-side “furlough” then showing back at the “Terminal” to take control
of a giant tanker filled with “toxicity” and soon heading through the Valdez “Narrows”,
especially when the Yellow Cab “TAXI” showed up and once able-bodied sailors fall
out of the cab and have to be carried back onboard their ships. Our plan was this, approach
Alyeska with a mandate, to set new rules governing access to the “Causeways” unless
for a “medical emergency”. And that desire with a time stamp, as we figured
3-months was ample time for these new restrictions to take shape and in place, else
we would purposely hold a “work stoppage” in essence a “STRIKE” until such
time our demands were accepted. But this was cause for concern, as the “tanker
crews” worked for the “Owner Companies”, and by now Alyeska had a President
with “no balls”. And that was the reason that Alyeska would fight that “Union”
election tooth and nail to defeat - impossible we thought. With that, we were
proud of the “UNION” drive efforts that would soon govern our future. OK,
Alyeska would go way beyond just the legal side of the election in appeal, as a
“SPY” had infiltrated our “UNION” shop-talk and informed the Bragaw Street
executives our intentions to “STRIKE”. This was the power a handful of
individuals maintained, to call for a “work stoppage-slowdown” and that could
easily delay the scheduled time that a tanker disembarked. With 2-million
barrels a day soon streaming down the pipeline, well if we went stubborn and
tankers were delayed in and out of the Port of Valdez and with limited storage in
Valdez - about a week’s worth of North Slope production - it
meant a curtailment of the pipeline throughput. Which meant a curtailment of
the Prudhoe Bay fields, and there are some wells that cannot take that kind of
cutback abuse, as a producing well can lose its stamina. It meant throwing a
wrench into “Big Oil’s” domain, that is the effect a handful of workers in
Valdez yielded, a ways and means to curtail the entire Alaska oil trade - 21
guys and a girl knowledgeable in the aspects of the “Valdez Marine Terminal”
and a facility designed in modern times that did not allow tanker loading in “manual”.
It means the operation’s staffing could not move in and take over faulty
equipment - so yes, dead in the water was this TAPS “End of the Line” if we
placed into effect that “Slowdown” showdown. And that is what we were after, making sure
thum drunk tanker crews were “dead in the water” and their ships not leaking. What a plan,
and we were excited that with such power, soon enough it would try the patience
and wherewithal of the Alyeska executives - either STOP the drunks or we STOP
the “Pipeline”. And Alyeska was well aware of that power by a few, and the
reason they decided to “SPY” and then they used their influence and political
clout to sway that election to failure - after we voted for that "Union". It was castration, as the NLRB was a peace-keeping
force for the “Workers” and when it made the dire straits decision in 1982 to
set aside our election - yes we had been thrown under the bus of Democracy. It
was crazy, and our only option was to stage another “vote”. But with the “appeal”
and a set-aside granted, there was no way in hell that we would ever see “organized
labor” as a representative body to help us in our concerns. It sucked, it was
un-American to the point that no matter how hard we tried, there could never be
another “so fair” an election and now there was “precedence set” that an “appeal”
would favor Alyeska again and again and again! Which meant the “UNION” was now
dead in its tracks. And Alyeska realized the repercussions of a rigged “appeal”,
our merits in the “appeal” somehow sabotaged and we were pissed, as we could
still cause a work slowdown. With that, Alyeska’s plan was to sabotage the “Union”
supporters, displace the leaders, move people to dismantle the “Union” movement
and the now growing disgruntlement after waiting 3-years for the “appeal” to
screw us over - because something was not right with this outcome. Of course Congressman
Don Young of Alaska was involved as were Alaskan Senators Frank Murkowski and Ted
Stevens. Pressure was placed on the NLRB, our “taxpayer money” at work for the
crooks! And guess what, all the time and efforts to promote this Alyeska plan of attack, well the
“I Abuse Alcohol” got even worse and after Alyeska was successful in displacing
the “Vocal Union Supporters” and the lawyers that made the stay of the election
a mark against “Solidarity”, well who do you thing was in-line on March 24th
in 1989 when Joe Hazelwood ran “Hard Aground”, as lawyers can make money on
both ends! OK, besides placing the blame of that “wreck” on Alyeska, blame it
also on the politics that influenced that NLRB ruling. Yes, blood on the hands
of our members in Congress! So any Alyeskan still listening, this is the “True”
story of what went on in Valdez. We were trying to organize for that very
purpose, STOP an EXXON Valdez “wreck” from ever happening, instead Alyeska
wrecked the careers of honorable men and women - and that stain is yours to
enjoy forevermore the “Cowards” that were part of this Alyeska Management hoodwanking
job. Think about it, castrating your very own. This is why that “Wreck”
occurred, because Alyeska’s George Mucus Nelson and all his 5th
Floor Bragaw cronies along with the “golden boy Bills”, a cast of clowns more
thoughtful of drunk tanker crews then its own staff of dedicated workers trying
to address a real serious problem. Look in the mirror “Bills”, as there is no
dedication to this kind of Ted Kaczynski madness! I was targeted for supporting the "UNION" and thrown out to
the wolves, but held my ground and survived long enough to…well take the time to
read “Confessions of a Turkey Baster” to see how I stuck a righteous fitting
tool up Uncle Al’s rectum! And all you sick bastards that are afraid of a “UNION”,
just remember that the next time the sitting U.S. President delivers that “State
of the UNION” address!
