In the Year of Our Earth, the Common Era, 2008.
Summertime, San Francisco.
Another cold summer day in The City.
The "green washing" of my workplace is ON!
Several of us have been assigned to a new "task force" to come up with ways to comply with mandates from our "Central Office" for greening our campus (I am going to be using euphemisms to refer to various university entities in order to keep my ass outta trouble).
Although environmental sustainability has been a hot-button topic for several years, the organization I work for is just now beginning to take steps to implement operations practices that will reduce its carbon footprint and make other gestures towards sustainability.
Up until now, we have been just talking about sustainability, very little has actually been done to change our facilities operations. A WHOLE LOT of talk has taken the place of action for years around here. Some people have even been able to start whole new carriers based on all this talk. In fact, as soon as the student association had succeeded in creating and operating a viable recycling center, the Administration decided that students could not be trusted with such a weighty responsibility and its operation was handed over to the Plant Operations Department. A couple of years later the Plant Operations Manager became the Associate Vice President of Facilities Services Enterprises. Cool new title, cool new department, cool new salary.
I, myself was even an early recruit. Told this was the oportunity of a lifetime, I was taken out of the motor pool and made project coordinator for a couple of sustainable building projects involving the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Existing Buildings Rating System.
After nearly a year of solo info gathering and sporadic "support" from my manager - "What can we show them RIGHT NOW to get us certified as a "green" facility?" - it became clear to me that becoming LEED certified was going to take a concerted effort, involving a wide range of people from almost every department in the university. As soon as I began communicating this reality to management, their interest began to waver. Shortly thereafter, I was taken off of the project. My role was handed over to our Associate V.P.'s personal assistant (she resigned 3 months later) and all other aspects of our sustainability efforts were assigned to student assistant staff.
So much for the "opportunity of a lifetime." The "green washing" had begun.
However, I realized that there was, nonetheless, potential for personal growth in the area of sustainability. I applied to and was accepted into a graduate program to earn an MBA in Sustainable Enterprises.
There are two such programs offered in the SF Bay Area. One is self-admitted as having an emphasis on "BUSINESS." This first school decided I was not " a good fit" for their program - "People 'your age' are usually already in upper-level management by the time they come to OUR program." Oh well, another clique this late-bloomer flunks out of! Obviously, my face, my stats, my "former business experience" would not enhance the appearance of their web-page.
The second school is decribed by the first as being more geared towards producing sustainability "activists" - pronounced with a just the hint of an amused, distainful sneer. These guys had no problem with my age, present employment situation, or my 3.8 GPA during my undergrad years - earned, BTW, while I was working full-time, raising a child and supporting and caring for a disabled spouse. O.K., I guess I'll risk being labelled an "activist." I will start this program in the fall of 2008. Wish me luck. My wife is back on her feet, my son is grown, I still work full-time ... but hey, this'll be a breeze, right? Right?
Meantime, I am back working in the Motor Pool and coordinating "the greening of the campus Fleet" - pricing recapped tires and test-driving a stream of snakeoil mercants' electric minivans (some of 'em still have the clutch pedal installed from their "re-engineering" as "green-mobiles").
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
TOXIC WORKPLACE / TOXIC BOSSES
I work at a large university in California as a facilities administrator and the Director and Associate Vice President of our department are two greedy, abusive, control addicted, sociopaths. I am ALWAYS looking for a way out of here, BUT, I have a disabled wife and a son in college. It is not easy give up a position I have had for 11 years at a university I at which I have worked for over 20 years.
It might seem odd to hear that two greedy, financially ambitious men work for a non-profit agency like a public university - it sure seems odd to me. I would think that private industry would be more suitable to their personalities and their agendas. But these two guys have worked together to create a joint fiefdom over the last 15 years.
The current Associate VP started out as the Manager of Plant Operations 17 years ago. Via a process of departmental "reorganization” he steadily CREATED a series of ever higher paying positions over the years: "Associate Director of Plant Operations,” "Facilities Director," and finally, "Associate Vice President of Facilities & Service Enterprises." All the while his duties and responsibilities remained EXACTLY the SAME. In fact the number of staff for whom he was responsible was reduced by his practice of frequently NOT refilling positions when folks retired. He went from $65K per year to $130k + per year.
He was aided in his "climb" to the top of this imaginary administrative ladder, by another individual who started out as the Grounds Superintentent 15 years ago.This guy’s job title has also changed: “Grounds Manager,” “Associate Director of Grounds,” finally, “Director of Landscape & Grounds.” Again, his job has not changed one whit over the years, just the title and the pay - from $43k to $98k per year. In those years the grounds staff has shrunk by 60%; and has gone from including two heavy equipment operators, an Irrigation Specialist, a Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Grounds Workers, Gardeners and Lead Grounds workers, to consist now of simply of 5 Lead Grounds Workers and various student assistants.
So, why am I whining about these guys who have just taken advantage of the American Dream of finding a government niche to use and abuse. Because they have done it on my back and the backs of my co-workers. And oh yeah the success of their ambition has been at the expence of the California taxpayers.
Finally, these two guys are notorious for having lied to, mislead and manipulated everyone around them, all under the protection of the university president because they keep facilities' maintenance cost down. As a result, the building's are falling apart and over the last 4 - 5 years longtime staff have been DYING as a result of a high rate of cancer (including Asbestiosis) and heart disease. It's criminal. Literally.
This is a public university we 're talkin' about here. Lots of regulatory oversite in place. Including CAL-OSHA, the EPA, three different unions and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It has done NO GOOD. These guys are protected by a university president and system chancellor who approve of their actions, and let them get away with MURDER as long as they continue to save the university MONEY.There have been numerous union grievances, lawsuits and even charges of extortion filed that have gone NOWHERE.
Most recently the Associate VP's wife divorced him (very noisily) because of a longtime affair he had been carrying on with one of the women on his office staff - an elicit affair with his direct subordinate that EVERYBODY in our department had suspected for over 10 years!
When it all came out, he was asked by his boss (the unit Vice President) if there were anything to the rumors. The Associate VP simply denied it and that was IT. NO MORE QUESTIONS ASKED! Within 6 weeks of that conversation the woman with whom the Associate VP had been having the affair received a BIG (well over 20%) raise and was "reorganized" into a very cushy job for which she is completely unqualified.
All this is to say that these guys are protected. As long as the university president has their back, they will continue to use and abuse their staff to further their own personal professional agendas. My only hope is to keep trying to find new job and hope things are better someplace else.
It might seem odd to hear that two greedy, financially ambitious men work for a non-profit agency like a public university - it sure seems odd to me. I would think that private industry would be more suitable to their personalities and their agendas. But these two guys have worked together to create a joint fiefdom over the last 15 years.
The current Associate VP started out as the Manager of Plant Operations 17 years ago. Via a process of departmental "reorganization” he steadily CREATED a series of ever higher paying positions over the years: "Associate Director of Plant Operations,” "Facilities Director," and finally, "Associate Vice President of Facilities & Service Enterprises." All the while his duties and responsibilities remained EXACTLY the SAME. In fact the number of staff for whom he was responsible was reduced by his practice of frequently NOT refilling positions when folks retired. He went from $65K per year to $130k + per year.
He was aided in his "climb" to the top of this imaginary administrative ladder, by another individual who started out as the Grounds Superintentent 15 years ago.This guy’s job title has also changed: “Grounds Manager,” “Associate Director of Grounds,” finally, “Director of Landscape & Grounds.” Again, his job has not changed one whit over the years, just the title and the pay - from $43k to $98k per year. In those years the grounds staff has shrunk by 60%; and has gone from including two heavy equipment operators, an Irrigation Specialist, a Integrated Pest Management Specialist, Grounds Workers, Gardeners and Lead Grounds workers, to consist now of simply of 5 Lead Grounds Workers and various student assistants.
So, why am I whining about these guys who have just taken advantage of the American Dream of finding a government niche to use and abuse. Because they have done it on my back and the backs of my co-workers. And oh yeah the success of their ambition has been at the expence of the California taxpayers.
Finally, these two guys are notorious for having lied to, mislead and manipulated everyone around them, all under the protection of the university president because they keep facilities' maintenance cost down. As a result, the building's are falling apart and over the last 4 - 5 years longtime staff have been DYING as a result of a high rate of cancer (including Asbestiosis) and heart disease. It's criminal. Literally.
This is a public university we 're talkin' about here. Lots of regulatory oversite in place. Including CAL-OSHA, the EPA, three different unions and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
It has done NO GOOD. These guys are protected by a university president and system chancellor who approve of their actions, and let them get away with MURDER as long as they continue to save the university MONEY.There have been numerous union grievances, lawsuits and even charges of extortion filed that have gone NOWHERE.
Most recently the Associate VP's wife divorced him (very noisily) because of a longtime affair he had been carrying on with one of the women on his office staff - an elicit affair with his direct subordinate that EVERYBODY in our department had suspected for over 10 years!
When it all came out, he was asked by his boss (the unit Vice President) if there were anything to the rumors. The Associate VP simply denied it and that was IT. NO MORE QUESTIONS ASKED! Within 6 weeks of that conversation the woman with whom the Associate VP had been having the affair received a BIG (well over 20%) raise and was "reorganized" into a very cushy job for which she is completely unqualified.
All this is to say that these guys are protected. As long as the university president has their back, they will continue to use and abuse their staff to further their own personal professional agendas. My only hope is to keep trying to find new job and hope things are better someplace else.
Opening Day
I've decided to start putting it all out there for the world to see.
I might be the only one listening, so I feel free to speak my mind.
That might be naive, but to think anything else - that random strangers would care about "my stuff" - just seems self-inflated and ridiculous.
I'm doing this to give myself someplace to write. I think of this blog as sort of a "virtual office" where I can come and work. I am hoping that having this structure will get me to think more objectively about the stuff that happens in my life and allow me to sort it out in my daily? weekly? monthly? journal here.
I hope to have some fun with this. Try out different writing styles and take on various "voices."
If you find this space and have some feedback of any sort, please give it. I'll read EVERYTHING.
So, "Random Stranger" thanks for listening so far. I hope to hear from "you."
I might be the only one listening, so I feel free to speak my mind.
That might be naive, but to think anything else - that random strangers would care about "my stuff" - just seems self-inflated and ridiculous.
I'm doing this to give myself someplace to write. I think of this blog as sort of a "virtual office" where I can come and work. I am hoping that having this structure will get me to think more objectively about the stuff that happens in my life and allow me to sort it out in my daily? weekly? monthly? journal here.
I hope to have some fun with this. Try out different writing styles and take on various "voices."
If you find this space and have some feedback of any sort, please give it. I'll read EVERYTHING.
So, "Random Stranger" thanks for listening so far. I hope to hear from "you."
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