http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/states/georgia/counties/houston_peach/16071207.htmE-mails at RAFB draw fire
Union official calls for action after messages about Hispanics
By Gene Rector
TELEGRAPH STAFF WRITER
ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE - An official from American Federation of Government Employees Local 987 is calling for removal of one Robins Air Force Base supervisor and suspension of another after the two exchanged e-mails containing derogatory comments about Hispanic workers.
The Local 987 publication, The Union Advocate, said last week that James Yasechko, a C-130 Production Division supervisor, referred to a Hispanic worker as "one of the immigrant child labor folks we hired last month" in an e-mail to David Mann, the C-130 Squadron leader.
Mann, responding to the comment and apparently to a large number of people on leave or vacation, replied, "We cannot continue to let the inmates run the prison." The union paper said the e-mails were eventually shared with AFGE and hundreds of employees. Local 987 is the bargaining unit for most civilian employees at Robins.
Tom Scott, union president, said Yasechko's comments should be a removable offense, and Mann deserves a suspension. Neither Yasechko nor Mann could be reached for comment.
"Mann didn't correct Yasechko on his e-mail," Scott said Tuesday. "He just followed with more derogatory comments. He never said the comments were inappropriate. That's how he should have responded."
Doug Keene, vice director of the 402nd Maintenance Wing, confirmed the e-mail exchange. He said the language was "regrettable" and "does not represent the way our employees feel about each other or the way management feels about the employees."
Keene added that base officials were not at odds with the union on the incident. "We completely agree that the verbiage used is unacceptable," he said.
Keene would not comment on actions the base might take against the two supervisors. "They have a right to their privacy," he said, "but I can say that we have a zero tolerance for any issues like this. The appropriate action will be taken, but it's not something we can comment on."
He said the two managers made an immediate apology to individuals and groups of workers in the C-130 production area.
"We also had a wingman day last Thursday and they publicly apologized," Keene said.
The aircraft maintenance director said he hoped that something positive can come from the incident.
"At Robins we have put our heart, soul, money and commitment into putting people first and mission always," Keene emphasized. "We believe if we invest the right things in our people and treat them right, they'll accomplish the mission."
Scott said production and morale in the C-130 area had taken a "tremendous drop" because of increased workload and the management style.
"They (supervisors) may not say it openly, but the e-mails capture their whole intent," the union leader said. "Employees just don't have support from management in that area."
Scott said the union would work with base officials to "begin a healing process" and correct other problems in C-130 production.
"We need to have a Lean event to improve the process, get production up, get morale up and build team unity down there," he said. "The union doesn't condone these kind of comments, and we put the article out to make sure action would be taken against those managers."
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To contact Gene Rector, call 923-3109, extension 239, or e-mail grector@macontel.com.
