Are You Wondering Like We Are About.....

why February was a record month for promotions?  Are you wondering like we are about when the slots for these were created?  What are the real motives behind all of these promotions?

Did these promotional slots just appear out of nowhere?  Has the need for these promotions been there since last year, and have they been left vacant?

Let's see if we can make some sense out of all this.

What better way to diminish the impact of workforce hostility toward management than to have more than a few promotions?  What better way to attempt to change the focal point away from the give backs and take a ways?  What better way to, at the same time, have more overseers and policy enforcers?  What better way to identify and correct the conditions that prevent "world class customer service"?  What better way to soften the blow of the SEIU union dues increase to 2.3%?

This is a classic case of misdirection.  Let's throw the workforce a few bones! Let's try to increase our very slim chance of keeping this gravy train contract!

Let's show the workforce that we are not all bad.  Let's show them more than we have shown them before!

Well, Stormin Mike, it will not work.  There are still too many members of the workforce who are feeling real pain.  There are still too many members of the workforce who are trying to make ends meet.  There are still too many members of the workforce who have seen their monthly expenses skyrocket. And, most importantly, there are still too many members of the workforce who will not fall for this deception!

The biggest slap in the face, and we do mean the biggest, is that all of these promotions are being funded by our give backs and take a ways!

These promotions are being financed by the workforce, and not by CAS.  Covenant is hoping that we do not connect the dots and follow the money trail.  CAS does not want the workforce to see how these steps mainly benefit management and their pursuit of "Profit before Product."

The first step for a better tomorrow starts with getting SEIU removed.  How are we doing with that?  When do we sign on the dotted line?

The Newspaper Articles That Came Out Today!

Here are the links in case you haven't seen them.

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/08/company-neglects-safety-sfo-bag-screeners-say

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/08/whistle-blowers-fear-retribution-employer?category=16

http://www.sfexaminer.com/local

Could any of this possibly be true?

What say you?

CAS...A Classless Act All The Way

Charges have been filed with the Department of Justice by members of our workforce who are current and former members of our Armed Forces. These charges are in protest of CAS's unfair and illegal discrimination against armed service members while assigning promotions.

Not only have these men and women been denied promotions, but CAS has not fulfilled their financial obligations to these members while they have been either deployed or away for military training.

We urge any and all current and former military members of the workforce to take a stand and prepare to draft up and submit a statement supporting this claim of illegal and unfair treatment.

This treatment is completely and totally unacceptable.

Let the chips fall where they may! Lock and Load.

The Upcoming Promotions

According to the information we have received the promotions for the CTX Supervisors and Leads will be announced prior to the effective date of the new shift schedules.

How about announcing them prior to the new shift bid days? Give the people who might have an opportunity for a better schedule(because they moved up a few slots because of the promotions) a better chance.

This is an easy and painless way to show some appreciation for the workforce that has helped make this company what it is today! Show some good will.

Another EEOC Link!

If you are considering filing a complaint, and we recommend that you do if you feel that you were unjustly and unfairly treated, follow this other link.

This walks you through the filing process.

https://www.ehow.com/how_6743480_file-eeoc-claim-forms-california.html

Promotions!

Congratulations to all those who have been promoted. We are sure that there will be plenty of grumbling about some of the choices. Don't blame the applicants, blame the system for allowing this to happen. After all, who would look a gift horse in the mouth? Take the money and run.

To those of you who have had enough of what you consider to be unfair treatment, we feel for you!

So, we have taken it upon ourselves to at least point you in the right direction in your desire to seek justice. Here is the address of the EEOC District Office. Good luck!

San Francisco District Office

Location:	350 The Embarcadero Suite 500 San Francisco, CA 94105-1260
Phone:	1-800-669-4000
Fax:	415-625-5609
TTY:	1-800-669-6820
Director:	Michael Baldonado
Regional Attorney:	William R. Tamayo
Office Hours:	The San Francisco District Office is open Monday - Friday from 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Walk-in services available on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Please call first to obtain information or schedule an appointment.

Rep. John Mica feels da pain!

In an article, which we will include a link to, Mr. Mica talks about " a solution to a dysfunctional workplace." According to him, the only way to correct these issues is to go to private contractors.

Huh? It seems that he is totally and completely fooled by Mr. Gerry L. Berry of Winter Springs,Florida. If he wants an honest and frank opinion of the morale and working conditions here at SFO he will never get it from Mr. Berry.

Mr. Berry condones favoritism! He condones girlfriends promoting their boyfriends. He condones the promotion of people who don't meet the basic qualifications set forth in our job postings. Just look at the recently announced promotions for the SCC positions. All three of them have not been here the required one full year. Yet, our H.R. department looks the other way when they should be crying out that this is wrong!

(Also, isn't it amazing how quickly these promotions were filled and announced? Yet, the promotions for the Checkpoint and Baggage are still left unfilled. What are we missing here?)

Mr. Mica should just continue to focus on the bloated staffing levels at the TSA. He needs to do more "homework" before he makes a statement about feeling our pain and frustration. His solution is not a solution, it would only change the "warden."

http://gcn.com/blogs/gov-careers/2011/06/feeling-tsa-workers-pain.aspx

Just More of the Same Ole Thing!

Why even post the qualifications for the SCC positions if they don't really matter? The people who were chosen for those promotions did not meet the basic requirements. Were those qualifications only listed to keep the number of applicants down?

We urge you to seriously consider filing a complaint with either the EEOC or the NLRB. Use whichever agency that is most suited to deal with your issues. Age discrimination, gender bias, life style choices? Use the one that fits your situation.

The onus is on you to stand up and fight for fair treatment. We will help you as much as we can.

How much longer....

will CAS delay the announcement of the promotions? At some point they should be running out of excuses. Who can they say is on vacation and are waiting for? (A dose of role reversal is in order.)

Congratulations to those that will be promoted. To those that didn't quite make it; our condolences. If you feel that you have been unjustly treated and discriminated against it behooves you to learn what options are available to you.

This link will give you some guidance if you are considering going this route.

Good luck!

http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/index.cfm

Is CAS planning on eliminating LTSO's ?

There has been talk that CAS plans to increase the responsibilities of Supervisors in order to reduce the number of Leads. We have heard that CAS will not announce any new promotions to LTSO. If any of this is true it would be a violation of TSA staffing policy.

Is this an attempt by CAS management to impress TSA? Is this what Rep. John Mica is referring to when he said that the private sector has been a leader in security innovations? Or, is the head of corporate greed rearing up again?

Will They have it done....

Before the start of the new six month schedule? Of course, we are referring to the Supervisor and Lead promotions. These new positions, ideally, should be announced and in place before May 14th. Just why is CAS so far behind? Can it be poor planning? How about just making a little bit more of an effort in attempting to look like a professional organization.

With all the staffing movement that will take place on the 14th why not strive for consistency? Why not have everyone just move once, at the start of the new schedule, instead of changing Supervisors and Leads afterward? We should be able to get it right after 8 plus years!

Business As Usual!

It seems that CAS is at it again. Names are being circulated around concerning a position that has not yet been posted and for one that was recently announced.

From the information that was supplied to us, these people are on levels and are management favorites.

When, if ever, will CAS change their ways? We keep hoping that this company will start doing the right thing. But, it doesn't appear to be part of the corporate culture. The sad thing is that it starts at the top.

Employee Appreciation Day Starts Tomorrow!

What happens when you miss getting the work schedule that you want by one slot? Would you be upset? Of course you would!

With the number of promotions that will be announced "after" the bidding takes place there is the possibility that your seniority number would have been bumped up.

Being bumped up one or two slots would have allowed you to get the schedule that you want for the next six months! Once again management has stuck it to the workforce.

So, when thinking of how the company shows their appreciation to the workforce, think about how you missed getting what you want by one slot.

Oh, we almost forgot! What is our wonderful union doing about this?

Interviews to Start Today

Interviews, at least for checkpoint lead, is set to start today. And don't forget to brush up on your STAR interview method. As that is the method with which Covenant Aviation Security likes to use for their interviews. Check out this site for a brief explanation of it. Perhaps they'll ask probing questions like, "What do you do when you get to a location you've never worked at before?" Then again, one always is suspect of CAS's whole interview process. After all, if you've been there for two plus years, management should already have a pretty good idea of what you're like as a potential candidate for that position. Of course, the interviews really don't matter, does it?

Good Luck!

As most should know by now, Covenant is prepping for the upcoming opening of Terminal 2. And part of that prep work is getting enough leads and supervisors ready for that deadline. To be fair, most of the recent promotions were actually commendable. Let's hope they keep that going for this next round of promotions. Then again, knowing the powers that be, they just won't be able to resist themselves in promoting someone's boyfriend or girlfriend.

If you're taking the plunge and going to apply, we wish each and every one of you the best of luck. Just remember always to say yes and never question the omniscient management team of Covenant Aviation Security. After all, they have to make certain we all know who's the boss. As if that wasn't patently clear!

Have a safe and Happy New Year!

2010 has been a year of promise and change. This blog-site was created for the express purpose of exposing and highlighting the managerial failings of CAS. Their outright disregard for fairness and lack of concern for the employees of CAS will not end until they are gone. We will continue to make the lack of adequate staffing known to TSA. We will continue to unmask the unfair promotion processes and favoritism that runs rampant. We will continue to listen, hear your complaints and post them.

Thanks to all those who have helped to make this effort a success. We will not stop until we achieve our goals.

May our future be full of hope and promise.

A Word from One of Our Readers Part 1

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.

A sucker born every minute

You may or may not remember a post a month ago outlining exactly what happened with the Assistant Terminal Manager position recently filled by Barbara Alvarenga. Well, we have uncovered some new information on that position.

If what we can gather from this job posting on SFO's web site, then the Floor Supervisors that were dangled that promotion never had a chance. We don't know exactly when the job posting was posted, but the filing deadline was February 12, 2010. If Covenant Aviation Security, i.e. Donnie Filbert, was serious about leaving that position opened to their Floor Supervisors, then why would they have posted this on SFO's and other job websites around the same time they posted it for the Floor Supervisors?

One can only safely assume then, that Covenant Aviation Security never had any intentions of giving that position to their Floor Supervisors. Of course, we already knew this, but this gives us hard evidence of this fact.

We really hope that the Floor Supervisors are content doing the menial work of managers without the pay and title to go along with it.

The original job posting has been saved for posterity just in case SFO takes it down.

Checkpoint Lead Interviews have begun

For those of you that applied for the Checkpoint Lead position, we here at Security First @ SFO wish you all the very best. Let's just hope that they make a similarly wise choice for this position as they did with the recent Checked Baggage STSO position.

To those DFOs that were flat out denied an interview because you either made the mistake of going Dual Function or were drafted against your will in to the classification, we can only off our deepest empathy. It's a hard road to follow, but just remember that our CTX brethren were denied virtually any promotion for the last three years.

This current regime won't last. And then things will change, and then they'll change back to the way they were. The more things change, the more they stay the same. So just wait it out. Perhaps in due time, you will become loved again.

The results are in

Well, by now most of you have heard about who has been promoted to CTX STSO. And we must say that we're pleasantly shocked by Covenant Aviation Security's decision. This was very un-CAS like. Hopefully the three people will serve themselves and the responsibility of their new position well now and in the future.

For those that missed out and were passed up, keep your chins up! There will be more opportunities. And just remember that we're still in this together. In the mean time, we're still waiting to hear about the PAX STSO promotions. Yes, there have been some names mentioned, but nothing definitive just yet.