In the early morning of
March 24th back in 1989, the residents of Valdez were awakened with devastating
news in horror, that an oil tanker filled with Alaskan oil had been
ship-wrecked and leaking its cargo of toxicity upon the surrounding coastal
waters of Prince William Sound. Matter of fact, some early risers of this “Little
Switzerland of the North” which was the termination point of the
Trans-Alaskan-Pipeline, some hinted that there was a scent of something foul
smelling in the air that morning - most likely vapors from the oil that was
about to turn the “Sound” into an environmental “nightmare”. In scale, an apocalypse
in proportions unprecedented for a once pristine ego-system of sea otters and
killer whales, not to forget the home for hundreds of eagles, our nation’s
symbol of strength and now a death trap to thousands of seabirds that rely on
the coastal estuaries for survival, so to with the migrating salmon. Soon that
news was what most Alaskan residents were drinking their morning coffee over,
in disbelief as “we were told it could not happen” emphasized in “never” with
all the safeguards in place to prevent such a catalyst that would unfold such a
catastrophe. And soon, it was news circling the “globe”, and just as fast and
furious the sad news came the “bad” news that alcohol was to blame. Yes, a
drunk’d up sea captain, behind the wheel of a giant vessel filled with Alaska’s
“Black Gold” now blackening the “Sound” a forever “spell” of doom with gloom
some 10-million gallons of toxicity too damn remote to clean up and now responsibility
cast upon the wherewithal of the workers and regulators that were supposed to make
sure this…it happened because alcohol has no boundaries when it comes to
destruction. And read-on, as it only came to be such a possibility an “oil
spill” catastrophe of such magnitude after some 10-years a very good track
record, wherein the new people now in charge had decided that “boys will be
boys” what’s a little booze in the helm. The alcohol abuse by the tanker crews,
once accepted as a normal behavior by the management and oversight, it was well known and grew in an
exponential scale of blatancy, you cannot hide such in a small town like Valdez,
unknown “bad” habits to the outside world not even hidden away from the
regulators - yet the company that maintained “oversight” responsibilities for
the tanker operations, it was well aware that the bottle was now an accepted crew
pastime in Valdez. And the fact that some of the local workers had close
encounters with the inebriated crews returning from shore leave, it was a
recipe for such a disaster. The reason the workers assigned to the tanker berthing
maintenance operations carried a Rigid pipe wrench, for protection!
Amazing, some 33-years ago bye now that a drunk’d up Captain Joe Hazelwood plowed his fully laden crude oil tanker into the most notorious navigational hazard in Prince William Sound, namely Bligh Reef. The same “Big Rock” hazard that is learned about in kindergarten by the kids that live in Valdez. But alcohol…had the management of the company that operated the Trans-Alaska-Pipeline - the Alyeska Pipeline Service Company - had the executives listened to some of its Valdez worker force so concerned about this abuse with the bottle…yes it was an avoidable incident! One of its most valuable workers that held “Owner Company” endorsements for his efforts to make sure the pipeline’s “Terminal” operation was “safe”, Valdez local vocal Union supporter Sam Kelley - who because of his interest in making sure such a wreck would not happen due the tanker crews being drunk’d up, because of those concerns and being vocal to the management, he was eventually “blacklisted” because he could not leave it alone and that is how the EXXON Valdez would be allowed to frustrate history. Yes, some of the dedicated workers spoke up, and in realization that it could jeopardize their livelihoods - so be it one must take a stand. But by now some 33-years later, no individual no company no nobody has been targeted in the blame game to the degree warranted for such an atrocity unleashed on the “Sound”. Because there was but for a single blame, the “management mindset” of the company that maintained the “Pipeline”, because they were made aware of the “problem” well in advance, yet balked on any remedy and matter in fact reacted with an opposite approach. Yes, made it worse in the area of concern by the local workforce, thus the abuse of the bottle and drinking on the job accepted. But rest assured, all the executives and lower-level management that were warned about those drunk bastards, well bye now also they are enjoying that “golden parachute” in retirement because they gave not a rat-a-tat-tat’s ass about the “Sound” then, don’t care about the kids or families now that had to live through that horrible time, as that is how pedophile perverts hide behind the truth. Yes, it was a management style of “shoot the messenger”, and the one individual that went out on a line to warn the management about the alcohol abuse in the sights of grave financial danger due no “job”, wherein the management did not show any care because it was afraid to confront the problem head-on, well the only thing that could prevent an “EXXON Valdez” like catastrophe was to “Unionize” the Valdez work force. So before Joe Hazelwood decided he could ride out of town with a bottle in one hand and the steering wheel of a tanker in the shaking hand, efforts excited a concerted effort to get a “Union” so that the local Valdez workers had another reach in authority. It was a plan of action that once a “Union” was ratified and certified, the workers could use their maintenance responsibilities to delay things - like not allowing a tanker to take on crude oil if indeed the abuse of alcohol was witnessed, through its crew members returning from shore leave and could not walk a straight line. Such delays would have spoken out loud and for sure the management would then have to react. But instead, all efforts to STOP the “Union” from ever becoming a reality was the priority, by shuffling around the workforce so that it could not legally “Unionize”, especially moving around those that were known to be in support of a “Union” and vocal about their concerns. It had nothing to do with wages or benefits, it was “Big Oil” that paid very well, it was about the drunk’d tanker crews! And that is why the EXXON Valdez made “History”, because Alyeska was successful in disarming the workers an interest in a “Union” and at the same time addicted to allowing that alcohol addiction to prevail. And even the officials that were supposed to be in the position of oversight, when the workers tried to invite some outside interference with the tanker crew binge drinking abuse, those officials had the same rat-a-tat-tat attitude in an out-of-sight out-of-mind mentality just ask Mr. Dan. So it meant the only sure sign to get this abuse under control, long before the EXXON wreck, it was the “Union” that would have introduced some interference to head off an environmental disaster - as alcohol and driving surely don’t mix on the high-seas surely don’t mix when trying to navigate the Valdez "Narrows”! So the Valdez workforce gathered together to talk about a ”Union”, and for that the workers were “spied” upon by the Alyeska management taking names and license plates, as no way was there ever going to be allowed a “Union” presence in the oil industry again - as “Big Oil” had learned what that “worker power” could yield during the construction phase of the 800-mile Trans-Alaska-Pipeline back in the late 70s with the Jesse Carr “Teamsters”. Well Kelley was soon labeled as a trouble-maker, a vocal “Union” supporter, and thus black-listed from any promotions and would eventually be force-fired away from the operating company and in Alaska, in the oil industry, that can be a devastating blow to one’s livelihood. But beware the Alyeska HR “Thungs”, the same individuals that would hug you on church day, then on Monday stabbing you in the back at the “Fifth Floor of Bragaw Street" at the Alyeska headquarters. This is a “True” story, and had the management instead focused its intention of “good will” on the workers’ concerns over the environment instead of the drunk bastards that thought they could navigate the “Sound” while intoxicated, no instead that management focused its attention on making sure a “Union” was never a reality! Because that was the “marching order” from “Big Oil” that at the same time was making a robust $killing$ in Alaska selling its oil at the same time an EXXON Valdez ”wreck” was now imminent. And today as we celebrate the 33-years of “mistrust” the 800-miles of distrust, as “kill the messenger” worked for the “Thungs” as residual oil still lingers, as was the State of Alaska also part of the “$killing$ so who cares that some pipeline workers had to fend for themselves. It meant job after job and never working long enough for a decent retirement, as soon word would get out and the “black list” would surface as the “Big Oil” is united in Alaska, and would “kill the messenger” before it allowed for a “Union” to control the “pipeline”. In Alaska, once a “Union” advocate always a threat, the management takes note and takes that into account. Have that strike on your employee profile, you will not advance in any career moves, it will stagnate your efforts for advancement - yet the company will use such individuals to its advantage to a point!
And
at the same time, today in retirement some workers are facing memory problems
in the aging process, due the fact they were subject to a long term silent
killer as part of their jobs, breathing in way to much BETX vapors from the “crude
oil” and now live with the long term effects of just another annoying debilitating
disaster. Yes, another thing the management was aware of but like so with the threat of a "Union", kill the messenger is what works! That is how the upper management found advancements in their careers! The “THUNGS” that never had to work in the field, never had to
touch or smell crude oil, never witnessed the almost brawls between the Alyeska
workers and the drunk’d tanker crews, well they could spend their office time
killing the workers' morale so that they could enjoy retirement as promotion in wages were
geared to how well they could screw over the workers - especially those workers that
were “Vocal Union Supporters”. And here we are 33-years after the fact and oil
still hangs out in the ”Sound”! It was avoidable as it was not an accident! Had Sam Kelley and his “Union” working friends
been successful, there would be no 33-year anniversary of an EXXON Valdez wreck, and there would be no workers that would be suffering from memory loss when trying to just enjoy a few years of retirement,
as a “UNION” would have said no way to the workers being subject as guinea pigs in a "Big Oil" lab expirement! Yes, 33-years of mistrust and 800-miles of
distrust, the Alyeska United Way!
So, you may want to blame Joe Hazelwood, best set your sights on the real culpricks that have that license to $KILL$!
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