SALT LAKE CITY (Oct. 31, 2002)- The station is staffed by some of the most experienced and dedicated America West employees around. Unfortunately, it's the most hostile workplaces I've ever associated with. Many of the ramp and passenger employees are 10-plus-year veterans, who have totally lost respect for management. In the three years I was a member of the management team, I witnessed the most egregious abuse of authority in violation of company policies, State, and federal labor laws.
 Ken Cook is the station manager responsible for this hostile work environment. His proficiency in presenting these employees as a bunch of worthless people - after all they're the lowest paid employees in the industry - to Employee Relations and senior management has to be one of the best work of mismanagement I've seen in the travel industry.
This article is an account, and a record, of my experiences as witness to the cruel work environment employees at AWA SLC are subjected to. Employees' complaints against management favoritism, nepotism, racial discrimination, intimidation, verbal abuse with gross profanities, and sexual harrassment had accelerated to gross proportions when I started in the summer of 1999. Several Employees Relations representatives, and senior management people, have met with and heard it directly from the employees over the last five years. Yet, Ken Cook continues to finesse his brand of employee mistreatment there.
START OF THE NIGHTMARE
Ken Cook was described to me as a "weak" manager by Employee Relations at my interview for the promotion to work as a station supervisor under him. I was made to understand he needed help with an already hostile relationship with employees. But withholding judgment, I came to SLC prepared to be optimistic and follow the leadership of the manager. And in my naivete, I failed to see the trapdoor he held out for me to enter, was an enterance leading into a snakepit. A fellow supervisor spent three weeks on the job and then told Ken Cook that the station was "rotten."
I had a fantastic introduction to America West Airlines under Reno Reservation Center manager Ann Webber. Although the entry-level pay was only $7.50 per hour, Ann Webber and her supervisors made me proud to go to work everyday for America West.
Ann Webber was a strong leader, she was always fair, honest, and well-respected by all employees. I expected that America West management personnel are of the same calibre. But in SLC, I found Ken Cook had managed to operate a little empire of employee distrust, management by intimidation, and destroyer of employee morale. While the employees maintained only respect for the position; they had no respect for him as a person.
And at the end of my "committed" year, I, too, had lost all respects for this ill-trained "manager." In fact, none of the departing supervisors I had the pleasure to work with had any respects left for him upon their departures. "He's nuts, man. You better get yourself out of here before he ruins you," a real good female supervisor once warned me.
I wasn't a bit worried that he would ruin my career, like he had done to so many former employees before me. I've never had problems findng a good employer in the Travel Industry. I have 15-plus years of airline and travel industry experience, with a college degree in Travel Industry Management.
And I'm glad to rejoin the human race; once again I'm back with a great management team that respects employees. I've escaped a horrible nightmare working for an inexperienced manager. But I loved America West because the company was doing some creative and exciting stuff. I had also yearned to learn from good management people like Ann Webber in Reno, or former SLC manager Ron Cook (no relation). I heard that he had great people skills.
SONIA LINGUIST (left) declined an invitation by KEN COOK to apply for a supervisor's position. She is one of the best agents I've worked with. She didn't trust him because he had misrepresent-ed himself to her; she'd witnessed his abusive ways to employees; and he disregarded her testimony against the Airport Police abusive treatment of former supervisor TRINA HOLLOWAY who got fired from the incident. SONIA finally moved and is now working in Denver.
AMY YOUNGREEN (right) quit earlier this year after being pressured by KEN COOK to help get agent JODIE CAPUTO fired (He failed). He claimed JODIE had taken $142 from the Company, but I knew that KEN COOK had the money the whole time hiding it to incriminate JODIE. In a meeting with the three of us...AMY said she did not trust him, because she had been told things by him that turned out to be "untrue." She refused to meet with him alone until I arrived on station. He called me immediately into his office and asked why two employees have so far demanded my presence in their meeting as a witness? They claimed to "trust" me as their witness, implying that he was not trustworthy. I told him it's because I've treated them with respect and fairness, that "Respect Begets Respect." But in his confused mind, however, respect was his to demand through intimidation and fear.
WANNABES, SPIES ABOUND
As soon as I advised Ken Cook of my desire to move on, I found out how former employees had endured as victims of his vindictiveness, insecurity, and disingenious character. He tried to fire me. Fortunately, his boss Larry Massaro, and Employee Relations did not believe his madeup story.
And even after failing to fire me, Ken Cook was still at his intimidation game to save face. Like a person without courage as he is, he challenged me in a sheepish way for a response if he were to terminate my employment. But confident of my innocence, my eyes burning with determination, I called his bluff:
"I will take responsibility for my absence from the station. But not for the abusive things your secretary (Lisa Gourley), who is not a supervisor, did to the employees." And I added, "Lisa has to take responsibilities for her own actions. Go ahead and fire me, but the whole station knows you're trying to tag on me what she'd done. Furthermore, everyone knows you cannot discipline her; she's abusive to them; and she likes to think she's above the supervisors." He had to recoil, became amicable, and then revealaed to me that his boss did not approve his recommendation to terminate my employment. I was so disappointed in him that he tried to trick me instead of telling me the truth at first.
I went on to remind him that Lisa had done this "cry-wolf" report to him once before. One Sunday morning, she happened to be at the station on my watch. Out of the blue she decided to call Larry Massaro that the station was in chaos, and Ken Cook was nowhere to be found.
Massaro called me that morning but everything was alright. Ken Cook was embarrassed in admitting it, "Yes, she did, but you had everything under control that day." I knew he didn't have the guts to discipline her.
Classic Lies: I didn't get fired, however, he succeeded in slapping a one-year probation on me during which time I couldn't get a promotion or a transfer. It was classic Ken Cook fabricating untrue stories about an employee whom he targeted to be fired:
- he misrepresented the truth that I was away from the station without permission for almost three hours - the issue was never a problem since I had the best attendance record on the satation;
- he misrepresented the truth that Dave Anderton, whom I had a trade with, had left the station two hours earlier - Dave had vouched that after doing payroll chores in the admin office, he left the station shortly after I called and told him that I was on my way in;
- he misrepresented the truth that none of the employees knew where I was - Rob Wickham, the Loadmaster for the evening, and next-in-line of authority, vouched that he also received a phone call from me that I was on my way to the station;
- he misrepresented the truth that he did not authorize my trade with Dave, and another trade between Pablo Robles and me for the earlier shift that day - I told him about the trades on Friday and he said it was fine;
- he misrepresented the truth that over 20 irate passengers (from Lisa) were at Baggage Service which was left unstaffed - Allison Hackney was at the Baggage Service that evening, and she vouched there was but one passenger who filed a lost-baggage claim upon the arrival of the flight that evening;
- and he misrepresented the truth that the reason a new employee named Paul quit that night because he could not find a supervisor on duty (also from Lisa).
I interviewed all the employees involved that evening whom Ken Cook selectively ignored in his report. Their version was the following:
That Lisa Courley arrived on the flight that evening and rudely ordered Paul, and another new agent out of the jetway, "Get your ass out of here and get down to baggage service," the second new employee remembers.
It's the way she's always talked to the employees. She's always rude, condescending, and short with employees who went to the manager's office for help. She and another adminstration employee, Margo used to report things on the employees and supervisors. They were always conveniently planted in employees meetings to report back to Ken Cook afterwards. I considered the things they did to employees as viscious and downright wrong, and immoral. Some employees broke down in tears in fear of losing their jobs after from these reports that reached the manger's desk.
Many things said in confidentiality in the Supervisors' office was repeated to Ken Cook. Margo's office was next door through a very thin wall. Ken Cook surprised me numerous times with comments relating to meetings I've held in confidentiality with some employees.
Fed up with Margo's convenient reports, someone wrote a note and taped it to her door one day. It said, "The Walls Have Ears." I chuckled when I took it down, but I reminded employees that it was not appropriate behavior to write notes of the sort.
Meanwhile in the jetway, Paul returned the favor and told Lisa that she was not a supervisor, and said the "F-" word to her. He then quit America West on the spot and went home. That's when she called Ken Cook at home, telling him that the station was in chaos, and an employee had quit because they could not find a supervisor on station. (Sounds familiar?). One other item: He seeked out Paul to return to work, the new employee who just used the "F" word on his secretary, but he wanted me fired. (Daaaaaaah!).
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THE TROUBLEMAKERS LIST
(Updated, Dec. 25, 2002)
These are Ken Cook's most disliked employees. One time or another they've done something, or associated with someone he dislikes, to make this list of "troublemakers" on the station. Each time these employees' names come up in a management team meeting, Ken Cook would remind everyone of his disapproval. If they're recommended for a leadership position, a promotion, he would make known his immediate disapproval; and if they've complained or submit a suggestion, he would regurgitate his reasons why they should not be trusted:
- Jack Maxwell,
is the most troublemaker-employee who is out to oppose management as a shop steward on everything that has to do with the Fleet Service labor contract. He is Ken Cook's most distrusted employee. Every time a grievance is filed against an alleged management's mishandling of the labor contract, Jack Maxwell is blamed for "making trouble again."
(See "Troublemakers List" on Page 2)
Favoritism, Nepotism, Racial Discrimination
Ken Cook approves the unbalanced makeup of the staff that heavily favors Polynesian workers in the expense of other nationalities. Since Supervisor Leioni Ika replaced Pablo Robles as the hiring supervisor, Polynesians have grown to outnumber other nationalities unproportionally to Utah's population mix. Polynesians make up less than five percent of the State's population, but yet, they makeup nearly 50% of the station workforce.
Ken Cook has allowed Leioni to hire his relatives, fellow LDS Ward-members, violatiing some company hiring policies. This unbalanced racial mix is in hope to help them build a majority coalition under their control to outnumber the Caucasian troublemakers - the veterans. In case of a work stoppage, they could count on the Polynesians to cross the picket line. I doubt the Polynesian workers will do it.
In a recent station meeting, Ken Cook warned the Caucasian workers: "Some of you who do not like the diversity mix here, I sugggest you go somewhere else. I'll even help you go. Just go (pointing both arms at the door)! Because this is the way we like it."
I couldn't believe what I heard, and then he followed up that speech with a station memo. As a Polynesian, I was insulted to find out why he prefers to hire my people. He repeated to an employee the old "Colonial" condescending treatment of Pacific Islanders by European colonizers: that Polynesians are hardworkers, and they don't complain.
It's insulting because we've come a long ways as a minority group to overcome our own ignorances. To think that a Polynesian is not worthy of thinking for himself reveals Ken Cook's ill-advised attitude to us. (Yes, my people ought to be thankful for an $8-an-hour job where they should just bendover backwards but keep their mouths shut). To him, the only good Polynesian is one who does what he's told.
Such a Polynesian is his protege supervisor Leioni Ika. He is wellknown for his bad temper and abusive ways towards employees, but worst of all, he takes advantage of his own people in a "con game" disquised as "favors." Ken Cook even calls him a "hot head," but defends him as a favor against employees complaints.
Leioni has even abused customers. He had been seen throwing customers' bags at them, challenged a complaining customer to fight, and had verbally abused employees with profanities until they're in tears. Ken Cook, and Employee Relations have been notified but nothing has ever been done. Ken Cook always succeeds in assigning the blames to the victimized employees.
Leioni, has doctored shift-trade records and timesheets to cover up bad work habits of some of his Polynesian friends in the expense of other workers. Later, he would call the favors in on a Polynesian worker, making him "an offer he can't refuse," to cover for another worker. It is reversed discrimination at best, and America West management is aware of it, yet, they've allowed it to continue without making management changes.
The Best of Employees
After the weeklong nightmare of the 2001 New Year's Day "fog", with America West flights cancelled while other airlines were flying, Ken Cook revealed his ignorance of employees dedication to America West. He asked me, "Why do you think those employees we least expected to come out and help were the most dedicated ones?" And he's the manager? I replied, "There are quite a few good employees on the station."
Despite Ken Cook's unpopularity with the employees, these dedicated employees made SLC a flagship station in the entire America West system in 2001. And who was grinning from ear-to-ear when Larry Massaro and Anthony Mule delivered gifts from the Company to the employees - color TVs, refrigerators, a leather couch, and other items? Yes, you guess right; he received credit for it all.
Several of these employees confided in me that they didn't do it for Ken Cook. Although they had no respect for him, they followed the supervisors, and they did it for the Company.
SCREW YOUR BEST WORKER: Kelly Higgs
Kelly Higss for example, was 2001 "Best Worker of the Year" employee. He's your ideal employee, voted so by his peers, a very honest, hardworking, and a very likeable guy. He was cited for security violation by Airport Police as a first-time offender. He forgot to shut a security door which he opened with his ID badge. The Airport Police confiscated his badge as a matter of procedure, and he had to appear at a hearing to plead his case, and for the return of his ID badge.
One would think that Ken Cook would try to retain his best ramp employee. Instead, he did nothing but facilitated Kelly's expulsion from the station. Since Kelly's Airport ID badge was taken by Airport Police, Ken Cook wasted no time in processing his termination papers because Kelly would no longer have an Airport ID badge. Kelly had not had his hearing, but he was already targeted to be released.
After a quick inspection of the area, I proposed to our management team that we should defend Kelly arguing the fact that Airport Authorities had not postted "Keep This
Door Closed" signs in this area. Instead, Ken Cook shot me a very intimidating answer, "You need to be careful about siding with the employees."
It was classic Ken Cook intimidation. The Company had been campaigning to reduce the high turnover rate at the frontline level. I argued for the retention of one of our best employees, but he had already made up his mind: Kelly had to go. I found out later that Ken Cook also had a security violation. He was looking out for his own survival, of course, and less-courageous and avoided a confrontation with the Airport Authorities by sacrificing his best ramp employee.
He didn't even try anything helpful except telling us that Kelly had "hung" himself at his hearing. A Union shop steward had learned from the Airport Authorities afterwards, that they were willling to make a deal since it was a first-time offense. But being a courageous-less a manager, Ken Cook had signaled to them that America West did not want to keep Kelly . Secondly, having Jennifer McNamara for a girlfriend sealed Kelly's fate. Ken Cook's dislikes for her was with a passion; she drives him nuts because she did not hesitate telling him to take his abusive ways and shove it.
Jennifer McNamara is on the "list" of troublemakers. She's very outspoken. Former manager Ron Cook (no relations) had lured her to SLC out of furlough status from DFW with a promise to restore her original seniority date. But Ken Cook came in and took away what Ron Cook promised her. He had no respect for the employees unless he wanted to buy someone's loyalty with approving special favors. After the Ramp Union contract was signed, Jennifer filed a grievance and won her seniority date back - a two-year difference. (Go figure.)
Ken Cook always justifies his zealous desire to fire veteran employees ostensibly with his own management "investigations." Rather, those are really "interrogations."
YOUNG AND RESTLESS: Tiffany Terrell
I sat in on one such "interrogation" of Tiffany Terrell, a 19-year-old agent. She was a Relief Supervisor, but she had filed a sexual harrassment complaint against supervisor Dave Anderton. But in a "team meeting" Tiffany had made a comment, "When can we get rid of Ken Cook?" Dave Anderton was the teamleader at that meeting.
She also repeated a rumor she heard that I had used the "F" word on the phone with a customer. Instead of Dave Anderton taking her into the office for counseling, perhaps with me included as management team members, he reported the two comments to Ken Cook who seized the opportunity to "interrogate" her. And before we began the meeting, she was already setup to be slaughtered.
She was not allowed representation, nor a witness. There were three of us male management teammembers interrogating a 19-year old female employee who had said mean things about us. I did not feel right about it, and I would've handled it differently. She was obviously immature, and needed guidance instead of punishment. But Ken Cook and Dave had to make her pay.
First, Ken Cook confronted her with the comments she made about me. Immediately, she started crying and said how unfair that we three men were ganging up on her. She felt helpless and was humiliated. Dave vouched that he did not hear me use the "F" word on the phone. It didn't matter because she was merely repeating something she heard second-hand.
I was then excused to leave while the two men further interrogated her. I didn't care much about her comments about me. I could've called her in privately and got to the bottom of it. The way we handled it was very unfair, intimidating, and abusive. I knew Tiffany was made to pay for making a direct challenge to Ken Cook, and for the sexual harrassment charge against Dave.
She was demoted from Relief Supervisor for challenging Ken Cook, but Leioni can continue abusing employees. Tiffany apologized to me shortly after the meeting, and we became real good friends. She didn't much enjoy working at America West anymore, and she finally quit. Her final words were, "I cannot work under that man anymore."
- Official Version
(More on Page 2)
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