IMAGINE, if the Alyeska
Pipeline Service Company could claim such an achievement, in “No Room for
Improvement”. It cannot, never an accomplishment of-record as it does not try
hard enough! See, the best thing that ever happened to that company, when CEO
Bob Malone was not afraid to involve the “public” upon a stained image in
corporate responsibility. Now when at the helm, and offering up the seed for
change that catalyst for recovery, even after the EXXON Valdez “Wreck”, Bob
followed through by allowing Alyeska to accept the open-door opportunity to get
it right. But that soon fell through the ice and went down-river soon after he
realized that the “corrupt culture” that had come to power over the years, it
was a long shot and maybe an unachievable goal! He could not do it alone, it
would take the employees to accept the change, that was meant for the good of
all things considered. Wherein reality, it would have required a complete purge
of the “upper crust and middle-class management”, that was the “problem child”
please don’t blame the front-line workers! But Malone gave the underlings that
opportunity to change, but they did not know how to act being so derelict in
ethics and responsibility consistent with a polluted mindset from a past while
under the guidance of a George Nelson like torture. It was like spousal abuse,
you put up with it and over time it becomes acceptable to some and then they
don’t know how to act without the abuse. Just another day in Hell. There should
have come a “major” purge in the management ranks to get it right, and when
that was not accomplished, it is like incest how the company continues to
survive. Today, Alyeska is no different a company, no different then when
Malone made it public that Alyeska engaged in discrimination against Native
Alaskans, in a perceived company-wide problem. Wherein as a time tested British
Petroleum “executive” he was lost for words to see how deep rooted that
“discrimination” existed across the organization known as the “Pipeline
People”. Look, only Malone could walk away from Alyeska after serving as the
CEO with a smile, as all the other jerks from George Nelson to Tom Barrett,
what a lame excuse for executive accountability. All the others forced out of
that coveted position, for things like tanker “wrecks”, covert “SPY” operations
against its employees, serious OSHA violations, major leaks to name but a few
of what gets one a ticket to early retirement! Look, a CEO has to trust his
underlings, but when there is NO TRUST to begin with, the ship of fools is damned
and righteousness is abandoned and any good name is doomed. So who am I to
challenge the wherewithal of the “Executive Management” of the company that has
been in hot water since the early 80s? Look, just a few months ago another
clean air act violation in the making, when the snow-shovels went missing in
action and the as-usual March snow-load caused the oil tanks to accumulate way
too much snow, like 14-feet in 6-hours! And because of lack of oversight in
snow removal, which has been known about for some 45-years by now, it damaged
the valves used to control the "cancer causing Benzene" emissions –
it’s Valdez Alaska, one never puts away that shovel I know I lived there for
many years! OK cat out of the bag, I was employed by that company once-upon-a-time.
And with bragging rights at my 10-year anniversary, the Manager of the SCADA
Pipeline Department presented me with a performance evaluation that insisted
“can offer no suggestions for improvement or development”. My work, my
everything job associated, there was “NO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT” is of record in
Alyeska’s Human Resource’s legal file. So why was my career cut short? Well
when the corporate issued performance credentials of an individual speaks for
itself, that there is NO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT nor NO ROOM for DEVELOPMENT, best
listen up to what this individual has to say about that, as I knew what I was
talking about. See, Alyeska had this motto the “Best of the Best” and even
ex-CEO James Hermiller made it clear and convincing that I was the “Best” of
the “Best of the Best”, but that came about after I was forced to
“quit”. Yes-eerie, after a concerned employee in the HR risked her career
by forwarding me a confidential company “for your eyes only” e-mail, wherein a
correspondence between then CEO Hermiller and the HR’s Kathy Carr provided some
very damaging information. It was so embarrassing to the company, because it
went outside its intended audience and provided me with what I had suspected
all along as to why my career had been “Killed”, because of my “Vocal Union
Support” in trying to get Alyeska’s management to realize the potential damage
that would occur because of the tanker drunks, well Hermiller had to write me
an apology. In vain cowardly efforts to try and convince me that the letter was
not intended to cause me any harm of embarrassment. It was a cover-thou-ass
letter in apology, but this all after I had already terminated my association
with Alyeska.
Said again, that is what it
means with NO ROOM for IMPROVEMENT – the BEST even after I was forced to
"quit". See, the executive management knew the "Union"
interest in Valdez was right all along, had they only listened! And I spoke up,
not afraid to tell the Truth, because I had reached that pinnacle of success
and my candor for honesty was endorsed by my performance in what the management
said about my work ethics. So I was inclined to speak up, about the drunk
tanker crews roaming about unescorted at the Alyeska Valdez Marine Terminal
proper and also outspoken upon the blatant disregard for human rights. I had
gained that privilege. But instead of the upper management listening up, I was
targeted for the honesty in telling it what it was like on the job. See, when a
manager gives such praise, as a human we realize all is well “keep-up the good
work” and think we are doing the right thing on the job and with that sentiment
that management has our back side covered. But so wrong I was, as even though
the company thought I walked on water, when it came to things like
environmental responsibility not up to the challenge and human suffering
through discrimination a bother to some of my co-workers of Alaskan Native
decent, the company refused to listen up to what this guy was trying to tell
them. Because it was two things the company could not or would not address!
Instead, it was a “Shoot the Messenger” recon reckoning. Think about it, had
Alyeska’s upper management listened to this guy that had reached the point of
“NO ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT” in job responsibility and ethics, well then the drunk
tanker captains would have been arrested as so with those in management that
promoted discrimination in the work-place demoted. And then think some more of
the fallout, had the Alyeska management listened to those like myself that
understood what we were talking about, as then maybe so the EXXON Valdez would
still be sailing in and out of Valdez, instead of being memorialized as Joe
Hazelwood’s wreck and sold for scrap! IMAGINE, if today Alyeska could really
claim it stood for law and order with respect to the environment and equal
rights. It cannot, and due the past and what is of historical value, it will
never attain that goal – it is too late as Alyeska surely had the opportunity
to do things right, and some of us told them so because that was our job! If
only the management within Alyeska had listened up, that company could today be
so proud, as I am convinced that the “wreck” would have never occurred. But
instead, it merely promoted a “Kill the Messenger” mandate and work environment
that was uninvitedly scary, as the aspect of righteousness on the job remained
a pipedream. Speaking up was a way to get on the bad side of management, and
that meant the unemployment line as once “black-listed” in the Alaska oil
industry, good luck best get used to flipping burgers! And for those that tried
to make a difference it meant being demoted in the sense there would never come
any promotions, tarnished careers a tar and feathering ritual while those that
perpetrated the “bad” stuff were promoted, as if that was what the company
management wanted all along. There is not a single individual that worked for
that company that understands what it was all about, what it was like when the
corporate axe-man was told to do his job, to "Kill the Messenger" as
I am witness, I am evidence that when it comes to climbing that corporate “poop
chute” that some will cut your throat, steal your retirement, rape your
children and call your wife a whore just to get ahead and Alyeska surely can
take credit for writing the book on the latter theme - else I would not have
had to quit for out-performing every other worker and telling the Truth upon
the matters of concern my only guilt! A Few Good Men, yes and Alyeska thought
differently as it was a company that “could not stand the Truth”. And I doubt
if its existence as a corporate entity is any better off today! To end, a word
in WARNING to any Alyeska worker with expectations that strives to go above and
beyond, that consistently grades “above expectations” and finds that there is
NO ROOM for IMPROVEMENT, beware as that makes enemies!
In ending, if what I have
called out above, if it were NOT TRUE, then why has not Alyeska sent a “Cease
& Desist”, why has not the Alyeska “legal maggots” filed a “Restraining
Order” against my publications found throughout this “Blog”? Because any legal
action taken would bring forward the TRUTH, and maybe some are afraid of that
TRUTH being made “public”!