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Trans-Alaska pipeline workers to be polled on satisfaction
The Associated Press
The federal and state agencies that oversee the trans-Alaska oil pipeline will survey workers to find out if they still fear reprisals against whistle-blowers.
The Joint-Pipeline Office will send out questionnaires to Alyeska Pipeline Service Co. employees and contractors starting June 1, said Rhea DoBosh, a JPO spokeswoman.
“We definitely want to see if there has been any improvements or changes since the last survey,” DoBosh said.
JPO’s last surveyed pipeline workers in 2000, finding that employees believed that Alyeska’s top management retaliated against whistle-blowers. The office also found that concerns were never fully resolved once they were brought up.
The upcoming survey was ordered by federal regulators when they issued a renewal of Alyeska’s right of way permits for the 800-mile trans-Alaska pipeline in 2002.
“We view it as a measuring stick,” DoBosh said. Employees complained to Congress in 1991 JPO took a stronger interest in Alyeska employee concerns in 1991 after a group of pipeline employees took complaints to Congress about worries over safety and environmental issues relating to pipeline operations.
The employees said Alyeska’s management harassed, intimidated and retaliated against employees who brought up those types of issues, and Congressional hearings were held.
In response, JPO established a toll-free hot line for anyone to report concerns directly to the consortium. In 1993, the Bureau of Land Management hired a third-party contractor to investigate the allegations raised during the congressional hearings.
That probe confirmed widespread operational problems and claims of employee harassment.
As result, Alyeska established an employee concern program in 1996 and hired an independent firm to conduct several employee surveys.
The surveys also documented employee dissatisfaction, distrust and fears about retaliation for reporting problems.
The JPO has conducted more surveys, finding improvement over the long-term in some areas. Last survey conducted in 2000 JPO’s last survey, conducted in 2000, resulted in three recommendations. First, Alyeska should see if claims of harassment from Alyeska’s top management were true. If so, Alyeska must take steps to eliminate the harassment. Second, Alyeska should make sure its contractors, which employ 68 percent of the pipeline work force, comply with established employee concerns programs. Third, Alyeska should make sure employees’ concerns are fully addressed and recommended the company formalize a procedure on how to do so.
Alyeska took the recommendations seriously and has worked on the issues since then, DoBosh said.
Curtis Thomas, Alyeska’s spokesman, said the company doesn’t wait until survey results are revealed to find out what their workers feel about their work environment.
“Managers and supervisors are continuously receiving training designed to keep them in tune with employee concerns. That will continue,” Thomas said.
Thomas said some employees will likely voice concerns about upcoming layoffs as the result of the company streamlining operations by upgrading equipment and converting to electrical energy to power some pump stations along the 800-mile pipeline.
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