Arizona State Prison Complex Golden Valley

First Hired by, MTC, then GEO took over

Interviewed with (MTC) aka Management Training Corporation Feb. 2012; I was hired as a Maintenance Tech. Worked for MTC until the contract was taken over by GEO, first of Dec 2015. This job was at Arizona State Prison. Supervised by the Arizona Department of Corrections.

During the time I was employed at this facility I had no write-ups or reprimands of any type.

Starting with MTC

The first two weeks consisted of classroom orientation training. His next week was onsite training and after that, He picked up an inmate crew and started doing maintenance on the Cerbat facility.

Maintenance on Cerbat facility

The type of maintenance we did on cerbat was upkeep of the buildings. We repaired Electrical, Plumbing, and HVAC. I supervised this crew for almost 2 years. This crew was comprised of four inmates.

Next Job, Lock repair of Complex

The next job He took on at this company was fixing all their locking devices. Furthermore, it was at the time I was working in the lock shop, That GEO took over management of this Prison complex. I worked in the lock shop and onsite. I worked on all locking devices on this complex.

When I started they had a very low inventory of parts to fix the locks. There was a time I was waiting on parts that had been ordered for a month or more. Made shelves and got some bins for them. Slowly I started building my parts inventory up. I built the inventory up and started building whole units for change outs.

I built these units to minimize the change out time. That way I could bring broken units back to the shop and fix it. By doing this all doors and units were down less than a day. I also helped repair the security cameras. Consequently, it was during this time as a locksmith that GEO took over management of this facility from MTC. Also while i was working on a slider door a cover slipped and when i grabbed it i hurt my shoulders and side i was working off an A-frame type ladder.

Dates of MTC to GEO’s take over

I worked for MTC from February 2012 till GEO’s take over on December 2015; and worked for GEO from Dec 2015 to Feb 2018.

Next job, overseeing the Maintenance Shop

While I was overseeing the Maintenance shop, I also did maintenance on the main facility. Overseeing the maintenance shop required doing vehicle maintenance and overseeing the welding shop. I order parts and all fluids required for preventive maintenance and supplies for the welding shop. I did this until they hired a full-time mechanic. When they hired mechanic he took over the shop and I went to facility maintenance. It was while I was working in the maintenance shop that a position came open for an electrical instructor.

Electrical Instructor position open

Electrical Instructor terminated: The reason given for termination; pencil whipping paperwork, very little knowledge of electrical trade. He was terminated and now electrical instructor position open, I put in for this position and another employee (Caserta) puts in. This is the start of Unscrupulous People & Company’s Treacherous behavior.

Caserta starts placating

Two weeks before the interview, the Caserta started talking to me, saying there was a plumbing instructor position coming open in a placating manner. The position of plumbing instructor was nonexistent at this time. He kept saying that everyday right up until the day of the interview.

Senior Instructor Rudd’s Actions speaking louder than words

He also said senior instructor ask him what course book he would like to look at, he said the core book. This was telling applicant he already had the position. I saw senior instructor Rudd and I told him I was interested in the position, the senior instructor just laughed at me. Caserta also worked around these other instructors and supervisors. He also attended company meetings with a supervisor, who was from that department. These actions are like saying he has already got the position before any interview had taken place.

Day of Interview

The interview was on a Wednesday and Caserta says he is busy and cannot make the interview, so the only person interviewed is me. The next day Thursday Caserta says he is interviewed, but one of the interviewers was not there. This interviewer was to interview him Friday, so Friday comes around and he says he got the position. Talk about a scam or premeditated setup this is it.

SKILLS

Caserta had 3 years with the company I had six years with the company, Caserta had no electrical background, and my background showed I had worked for several electrical companies. And I knew I was more qualified because I worked with the Caserta in the maintenance department and had several times gotten him electrical parts for the jobs he was working on when he did not know which ones he needed.

The amazing part of all of this is Caserta’s skills were the same as the instructor they terminated.
The most amazing thing about this teaching program is that it is actually backed by a company called NCCER which is (National Center for Construction Education and Research). there is no doubt in my mind that Head of HR Eli Johnston was in on this scam. i can’t prove it but i know in my mind that is the case. It was Eli Johnston who terminated the other Electrical instructor.

DOES SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION COUNT?

Does fair play exist, does experience, skills, knowledge or even education count for anything, not at this place? You have to play politics there or you lose out. If you play politics or kiss up then you are, in like Flynn. If you are a good employee and say something about this unfair treatment, look out the witch hunt is on, and the workplace becomes hostile and dangerous.

After the unfair treatment, I vented and While venting, I protested this and told them this was not right and neither one of us got the position, another interview was with 5 interviewers plus department head, and still, the job was not awarded to either one. The HR person told me the person who got the position was someone with a bachelor. A while later the HR told a different story said they did not fill the position.

Caserta’s refusal to take the call in phone

Both me and Caserta worked in the same department, another thing that became a problem is I had the cell phone for after hour call-ins. and the person I passed it to, was Caserta who was causing me the problems. The call-in phone was passed from one maintenance person to another, for maintenance problems that happen after hours or on weekends.

When I went to give it to him he got hostile and threatening, so I ended up giving it to the lady who did the work orders to give to supervisor Kevin Lawson, so he could deal with him. I also told the supervisor about all that was happening. He was not reprimanded or anything for his underhanded behavior. This became a hostile work environment in worse ways.

Where was the fair play toward me? How it is so many people backed him when he was in the wrong. Why did so many people start disliking me and go along with this unfair setup? What could anyone do to deserve this travesty? This is so nefarious and shows unscrupulous and incompetent behavior by all involve. It also shows a lack of professionalism by all administrators’, Warden Wrigley, head of HR Eli Johnston and investigating Lt Gordonaire are the main ones.

Caserta makes workplace hostile and dangerous

After those other people friendlier to Caserta acted differently toward me and one told me, he was a special friend of hers, I told this person that I could see where that was going and this person stopped talking. Talk about things being unfair and going south fast that happened

There were even times he made the job more dangerous for me and the crew I supervised. When my crew worked on the lights outside the yard, I had to have someone on the yard too turn them off and on. I could not even get Caserta or the other maintenance man McClure to turn the power off to lights, so I had to shut down fixing them. The electricity that the lights ran on was 277 volts; I told my new supervisor Kevin Lawson that no one on the yard would turn lights off

They say Caserta was under investigation whether or not that is true, I don’t know. I also heard he was on probation. This happened afterward about some other thing he did, this just adds to corruption. This is my opinions and beliefs based on all that has happened up to this point. It would be nice to find a place where skills, knowledge, experience, education and merit count. Talk about a hostile work environment this was it.

Wastewater Manager commits suicide

One of the few people I felt comfortable with was Tony, he was in maintenance than he did some schooling and got certificates and became the wastewater manager. He was one of the few people I would talk to after the promotion scam. Something happened and he committed suicide on February 2nd, 2018.

ON February 2nd 2018 we in the maintenance department were held over, we met in the conference room that is when we were told Tony had committed suicide that morning on his way to work. That shocked me and I felt helpless, the first thing I said was I got to get out of here and left the conference room. There were a couple of fire rescue people there from the fire department to help people cope, one followed me out and I told him what I thought might have pushed Tony over the edge.

Two separate incidences of chlorine gas exposure

I believe what pushed him over the edge was what happened at wastewater. At the wastewater plant, they used chlorine gas to kill the bacteria in the water before they put it in the leach ponds. On 2 separate occasions, workers were sent to the hospital for chlorine exposure. Chlorine takes away oxygen and can burn the lungs. Also, it was and still is hard to get parts and materials to fix anything at this facility.

Suicides at this facility

Tony made the 3rd or 4th suicide at this facility. A few months after he committed suicide another person committed suicide, this would make four to five people who committed suicide at this place of work. This has to be a worldwide record. Most places of work don’t have people who commit suicide associated with them, yet this place has had four to five in less than five years.

You have to wonder if there is a connection other than working in the same place. There was an investigation going on in the maintenance department at the time Tony committed suicide. I have wondered and still do if this was what pushed him over the edge and if the investigators are connected to the other suicide victims as well. another suicide since Tony’s making the total suicides 4 to 5. I believe this is something that needs Investigating.

Last day at this workplace

Monday, February 5th, 2018, I went in to work and I still had problems with Tony’s suicide. I talked with a Lieutenant Gordonaire about it and I told him I held the company responsible because of things that had happened, I felt like then and still do that this company did something to push him over the edge.

He told me to go flip hamburgers for 15 dollars an hour at McDonnell’s. This amazed me since I was not making that amount nor anyone else that was maintenance, if anyone that worked for GEO could get that type of money at McDonnell’s they would be working at McDonnell’, Less stress and harassment at McDonnell’s than working for GEO with its clicks, bullies, backstabbers, cutthroats and micro-managers.

Put on admin leave by HR Eli Johnston, the lies begin

This is what they did to me after I told investigating Lt Gordonaire I held the company responsible for Tony’s suicide. At this point, I was in the HR office and the head HR Eli Johnston claimed the company was the people. Which, this company is not the people, they do not care about the people, and the high turnover rate proves that. Also, their unfair tactics towards employees prove that also. I also believe HR. Eli Johnston was in on the promotion scam. This is when Eli Johnston would accuse me of workplace violence which was than and still is a lie.

I was put on admin leave for a week with pay and then I called on Friday of that first week and he told me he was sending a document, which put me on leave without pay, and accused me at that time of workplace violence. This is amazing I had no write-ups, reprimands or disciplinary actions against me. This document also said they would get back with me on the outcome, they never got back with me. Also, I ended up having to get food stamps. The second week out i was being told these lying people were saying i threaten someone on a phone another lie. I also heard Eli Johnston was going around trying to get people to sign papers against me.

Never contacted or informed by the company of Termination

The first week of March I put in for unemployment and food stamps when the food stamp person went on the computer that is when I found out they terminated me on the 20th of February 2018. This proved to be sneaky and Unscrupulous

Six years with no problem’s

What an intimidation tactic, to counteract my holding them responsible for Tony’s suicide. They now started making up lies about me. I had 6 years with no problems. Last 3 months my problems began because I did not let them crap all over me; when they pulled the promotion scam and told them what I thought about Tony’s suicide.

Workplace Violence is slander, liable and character assignation also retaliation

Workplace violence is slander, liable and charter assignation. and it has caused me harm at finding a job elsewhere. Also, they said I was under investigation, and they would let me know the outcome. I have not heard from them since. This workplace violence was a direct response to my telling them I held them responsible for Tony’s suicide. It is an intimidation tactic, they ousted me in a sneaky manner. I intend to hold this company and these people responsible. Everyone needs to know what kind of company and people they are.

Rumors of Paper Hanging by, HR Eli Johnston against me

I heard that Johnston was going around trying to get people to sign papers against me. If this is a fact, I would like to have copies of all those papers. I also heard he said I made a threat on the phone, I know that’s a lie. The only thing I said on the phone to him was when he accused me of workplace violence; I told him if he pushed that lie I would get a lawyer.

I believe they went out of their way to cause me financial damage

This company and people, I believe went out of their way to cause me financial problems. The lie of workplace violence made it near impossible for me to find another job. I never threaten anyone yet I was threatened at this workplace.
They denied me unemployment benefits I had to put in an appeal to get that. I ended up cashing in a life insurance policy I had since I was 16 to pay off bills; hospital and car plus other utilities. Also, at the time of my ousting, I had 168 hours of vacation and sick time. It’s referred to as (PTO) paid time off. I did not get this and I earned this. To me, this is stealing by this company.

I write this so others will know how this company is.

I am writing this so others will know that anywhere is a better place to work than GEO.  GEO has nothing to offer anyone in my opinion but a hostile work environment, bad benefits, undue stress, and low pay. They also took my Holiday and sick pay which I earned. Taking my vacation and sick pay in my opinion is stealing. This is a regressive company. I am still looking for justice against this unscrupulous company.