Title: Alyeska Bad Memories & Milepost 801 of Distrust
Remembering Bill Cowitt – NO not a “H” typo as the “C”
signifies “Coward” – as Bill was ex-Alyeska Pipeline Service Company’s President
George Mucus Nelson’s human Tampax! As one of the Alyeska executive enema boys
and known for “bluff” threatening to throw whistleblower workers out of a low
flying Wagenhut/AGA helicopter, Bill the “Coward” was sent to the Alyeska
Valdez Marine Terminal in 1985 to “KILL” the remaining spirit in interest of
organized labor in worker representation – during the time the Instrument &
Electrical technicians were still adamant about gaining the attention, and
rightfully so, of interference from a “Union” in presence, so desired in
necessity for safe harbor labor practices.
Such an interest not for wage concerns this “Union” effort that started
in earnest in the early 80s, but we went tired of being called upon by Larry
the Marine Guy to perform work outside our assigned obligation, something that
was not in our “job description”, maybe even borderline illegal nonetheless professionally
unethical! Yes, to drop what we were doing on-the-job, to help the town taximan
unload a crew of drunk pirates, get them back aboard that tanker already filled
with crude oil ready to set sail south, after the crew returned from shore-leave
status pursuing an all-night bender at the Pipeline Club in downtown Valdez. And
this helping hand out to the drunks we were called upon to man-handle, it included
assisting inebriated captains, that could not walk the gang plank in a straight
line without help and soon to be in charge at the “helm” of a 200000-DWT ship carrying over 50-million gallons of
toxic crude oil! Funny yet shameful how that “Restricted Access” sign at the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline’s
“Terminal” in Valdez was so often in trespass, even with the FBI beware in “Warning”,
as the taxi with drunks was allowed no “frisking” when entering the Dayville
Road “Checkpoint”. As a worker, I had to walk through that security scrutinized
by men in uniform carrying, every day when I arrived for a 12-hour work-shift
and also checked on the way out – like the workers were worthy of stealing that
“black gold” – I did it one bottle at a time! But that “Town Taxi” had no such
oversight, it was the ultimate in free range – in abuse that is, what should
not be happening on the job, especially this job that dealt with boat-loads of
crude oil! In fact on a cold or wet day, the security detail just waved the
taxi through the gated entry, from the comfort of the security office window,
just too damn lazy to care about the condition of those passengers getting
ready to get behind the steering wheel of a crude oil tanker. The crewmen entering
the “checkpoint” could even carry along bottles of booze, concealed in “Alaska”
gift bags and not a single Alyeska manager said a damn thing about it! This was
a brazen like bad habit not hidden away, out in the “open” and acceptable! So
we decided it was time for outside interference, someone that would listen to
our concerns and then take action – like maybe in a “strike” threat as we did
not want to be accomplices to a DUI wreck in Prince William Sound! Sure we
complained to the executive enema committee about the binge drinking and how we
were called upon to help the bastards, at the time Alyeska President Nelson’s
power addiction did not give a rat’s ass upon our concerns in a “boys will be
boys” argument. But when the IBEW started to gain attention with the dedicated
workers in Valdez, Alyeska hired the big guns to fight our “Union” interest,
and Bill was part of that “shoot the messenger” plan to quash that “Union” dead
in its tracks. During the construction of the 800-mile pipeline, the “Union”
flexed its muscle and in no way shape or form was Alyeska willing to be placed
in that kind of situation again, so it meant whatever it takes to take us down!
And of course, like in the time-tested solution to pollution is through dilution,
conquer through dividing, and that is exactly what started happening with the Alyeska
work-force in Valdez. At one time the VMT Maintenance Department existed in its
own respected domain, responsible for the combined efforts in the mechanical
and instrument and electrical functionality of a massive infrastructure that
received, stored and off loaded 9-million barrels of crude oil that was transported
down that 800-mile Trans-Alaska-Pipeline. This was wherein the “Real McCoy”
work started, unlike the simplicity of a “pipeline” that merely pimps the oil. A
facility so big that it required its own power generation, 42-Megawatts to keep
the pipeline terminus in operation 24/7. And because maintenance was under one
roof separate from the operation’s division, it allowed for the best safety
record achievable, as the morning meetings allowed for all work to be carefully
planned out with respect to safety. The Alyeska VMT maintenance workers were at
one time a “One Voice” with respect to worker “safety”, and very vocal about it
when “push comes to shove” when we were asked to cut corners with that
obligation – we said Hell No and management would listen! And busy we were, to
keep this beast of a facility running, with 2-million barrels of North Slope
crude oil coming our way daily. So we really did not have any extra time to
accommodate the “drunks” when 4 to 5 tankers a day were outbound, and the
management did not consider it a “safety” issue with this “inebriation” even
when we complained, like it was someone else’s business as the tanker crews did
not work for the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company. So yes, we went sick and
tired of it and set our sights on that outside interference from a “Union”. I
use that word “interference”, as we really did not need a “Union” for the most
part, and only in a last ditch effort did we decide that was our only hope – as
it was inevitable back in the early 80s that if this bad habit with the
inebriation continued on, if the Alyeska management continued to turn a blind
eye, there would come an unprecedented “wreck” in the “Sound” – and that
environmental nightmare did come true, one that still harbors weathered oil
some 30-years after the fact. But with the “Union” knocking at the Alyeska
Pipeline Service Company’s front door, the Nelson plan was to divide us, and
the 5th Floor of Bragaw – wherein the enema men like Bill had
nothing better to do then keep kissing Nelson’s behind – that plan was
successful at that and then the maggot militia set the sights on disabling the
“Vocal Union Supporters”, like myself. So what went missing when the Nelson
plan of attack “No Union Allowed” was in demand? Well like we learned it all in
kindergarten when climbing the playground slide, that 3-points of contact
always - well that went MIA in Valdez. By separating the troops, we no longer
had control of safety, while the drunk tanker crews continued that pilgrimage
to abuse their drinking on the job habits condoned by the senior Alyeska management.
Look Chuck O’Donnell was well aware of this booze fascination, it was the talk
of the town, but when he became the VMT superintendent after Bill Cowitt &
Company was successful in “Killing the Union Messenger” and before the EXXON
Valdez “Wreck”, nothing changed in that attitude “boys will be boys”! As a
matter in fact, it got much worse as management saw the “Kill the Union” as a
success story and patted themselves on the back – that they pulled a fast one
on the dedicated workers. Which meant only a matter of time wherein it would
mean sooner than later a catastrophe scenario finding headline news notoriety. Yet
no need to wait for that “wreck”, as things started going downhill as soon as
the “enema boys” got their marching orders from Nelson, to “Kill the Union”. So
when the latter was in effect, in December of 84, one of the most dedicated Alyeska
mechanic on the Valdez roster was killed in an accident, when his crane toppled
over and crashed, due the fact the Alyeska “enema management” would not allow
the “outriggers” to be engaged to safely perform the work, because that is what
happens when the workingman’s “voice” was assassinated to silence. And Bill was part of this “shoot the
messenger” plan, that did work as the “Union” never survived its calling in
Valdez, the vocal “Union” supporters were targeted by Bill & Alyeska’s HR,
and Bill would be one day awarded the VP seat for the Human Rectum Department
for a job well done. But on a March 24th in 1989, Joe Hazelwood was
a passenger in that Valdez town taxi, returning from one of those all-night
benders we fort so hard to “Kill” and then drove his tanker into Bligh Reef.
Had Bill looked in the mirror and realized climbing the corporate “poop chute”
was not more important than keeping drunks away from the helm of a tanker while
under-the-influence…well the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company would have
something to be proud about. Bill Cowitt had several years in Valdez as the
Alyeska Valdez Marine Terminal “Superintendent”, yet failed to STOP the
inebriation because fighting the “Union” was the goal above all other matters. Yes,
Alyeska is to blame for that “wreck” along with deaths of workers, no doubt
about it as I was there and tried to STOP it but because of my “Vocal Union
Support”, I was also in the sights of the George Nelson assassinator’s “bullet”,
targeting my career! Any ex-Alyeskan that does not realize what went on during
the 80s with this “Union”, well get over it, your company is to blame for a
nightmare of an environmental disaster that could have been avoided and the
deaths of dedicated workers, that also should have been avoided. Still PROUD?
If so you are one sick human and a “Cowitt”!
Sam McGee Badge #151464
