We recently received a well thought-out letter from one of our co-workers and a reader of the blog. We thought that we should share part one of his/her letter with you all.
Politics, Politics, Politics…
by IronSublimation
It is my hope that everyone knows how political the promotional process is here at Covenant Aviation Security. I feel like I can count the number of questionable promotions that have been made on more than the number of fingers I have.
Call me naïve, but in the beginning I was a bright-eyed, motivated individual with hopes for a promotion down the line. After seeing how the company promotes and what one needs to do to move ahead, it has been progressively difficult for me (and for many others, I imagine) to remain motivated.
My first chance at promotion, albeit lateral, came when there was an opening to become a Dual Function Officer. While the requisition stated that one must have been employed at CAS for six months, that “requirement” is merely a “soft” one.
The timing of the requisition was almost impeccable. I was two weeks away from my six-month mark. After providing my supervisor with my necessary paperwork, my STSO gave it to terminal manager Russell Mackey. Mackey subsequently denied the request, citing the fact that I have not been with the company for six months. Feeling dejected and not yet knowing exactly how the company ran and the exceptions that could be made, I understood the reasoning for denial and moved on.
Later on, I found out that someone from my class was promoted to DFO during the same time that I applied. This is when I found out that the requirement for promotion was a “soft” one and that even Mackey has overlooked it in the past. So why would he deny me and approve others? Is it due to his personal rapport or relationship with others? I confronted him on this issue some time later. He denied any wrongdoing, saying that he “didn’t know” that he could “overlook the requirement,” which is a lie as his promoting history dictates. What I find particularly disturbing about this case is the fact that I cannot even trust my own manager. He knew very well that he could have approved my request, and he knew very well that he has overlooked certain requirements in the past.
Strike two came when there was an opening for the class called “Protrack.” If you don’t know, Protrack is a program that prepared officers for promotion into higher positions like lead or supervisor. After initially applying, I made it to the first step of the process, which would be a prepared 5-minute presentation about leadership and what it meant to me. On the day of my presentation, after much preparation time, I was told that my (and others’) presentation would be postponed indefinitely. I never heard about it again despite repeated inquiries. After working hard on the presentation and being left out in the cold, so to speak, I was amazed at how I had to find out through the grapevine that they had scrapped Protrack altogether. Surely this would show me exactly how the company ran, right? Well, I forged on, with hope for bigger and better things.
The third strike, which ironically was not the last considering the rules of baseball and the laws of California, came during the promotional process for Behavioral Detection Officers. This time, the requirement for one to become a BDO was one year. I found out the hard way that this requirement was actually a “hard” requirement rather than a “soft” one that I have explained previously. After the interview process, which I thought went extremely well, I was kept in the dark about who did and did not make it. After I found out whom they selected (through the grapevine), which, at the time, initially included someone from my class (déjà vu, right?), I was told that I was not selected because I have not been with the company for a full year. It was two weeks away from my one-year anniversary. While the other person from my hiring class was eventually told that he or she would not be able to join due to his or her tenure and that it was a mistake on their part, just the sequence of events was enough to frustrate me even further. Not only did they waste time for the both of us, their vetting of candidates, or lack thereof, was apparently inefficient.
The final strike comes during the process for a promotion to supervisor. Luckily for me (or not), I was granted an interview where I would be asked questions in front of three terminal managers and one human resources representative.
During the interview process, I will admit that I wasn’t at my best, however, the look on managements’ faces and body language was discouraging from the moment I walked in there. After knowing a bit about the way promotions were handled at CAS and observing the body language of the three managers, I already felt that they had an idea for whom they would promote and that the interview process was simply for show. I knew of others who I felt would be great supervisors and yet, they were snubbed.
There were four people who were selected, and of particular focus are the following three: Matt Davis, Ismael Rodriguez, and Robert Reclus. Do you see any particular issue that might call for an investigation? Here’s the info: Matt Davis is married to another supervisor, Melissa Davis. Ismael Rodriguez used to work for SFPD. And where did Mindy Pingel work before coming to CAS? Robert Reclus is the twin brother of former Dual Function Supervisor James Reclus.
See the connections there? Oh wait, there’s more…
Recently, a certain officer was promoted to lead. It’s no secret that this officer is the boyfriend to a certain Floor Supervisor from the mornings. I have also observed this officer in the past having quite a cozy relationship with Shelley Burrell. Coincidence? That’s what they will tell you.
And on a side note, can someone please explain to me why that Floor Supervisor was working in the same checkpoint, let alone, same terminal, with her boyfriend? Conflict of interest much?
So I presented a problem and here is a solution: Promote on a meritocratic basis; judge an employee and their potential for leadership not just by an interview but by their history and workmanship on the floor, and finally, enforce anti-fraternization policies upon CAS management.
Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow.
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