BP Continues to screw up over and over and over again
They just seem to be completely clueless. They promise and promise, and then do nothing, and continue to do nothing.
Workforce Commission Executive Director Requests BP to Require Contractors to Use Louisiana Workers for Oil Spill Jobs
(LWC = Louisiana Workforce Commission)
In a May 15 email to the LWC, a BP attorney wrote:
“…we agree with you that hiring bringing (sic) non-local labor when qualified local labor is readily available runs counter to our instructions. I have copied Doug Suttles who you probably have seen as a BP spokesman. Doug has issued explicit instructions on this subject. We are now creating a reporting mechanism for our contractors of general labor so we can insure they are making all responsible efforts to employ local qualified workers as a priority.”
That email was sent in response to an incident in St. Bernard Parish on May 14 in which several people from outside Louisiana who had been hired by a BP contractor were removed …
Since then, participants in the Vessels of Opportunity Program have reported encountering boats from other states working for BP in Louisiana waters. An oilfield staffing company with offices in New Iberia, Maxum Industries, acknowledged on Monday that it had bused in labor from Mobile, AL, and Brownsville, TX, to fill vacancies with a BP contractor in Louisiana. It is apparent that the instructions to BP contractors have not been followed.
In addition, we also have no confirmation that BP has created a reporting mechanism that ensures its contractors “arc making all reasonable efforts to employ local qualified workers as a priority.”
Despite BP’s assurances that reports on state of residency of oil spill workers exist and would be forwarded to the State of Louisiana, we have not received those reports. It should also be noted that the LWC and other agencies of the State of Louisiana have made numerous requests for this information.
The Louisiana Workforce Commission has taken more than 13,000 applications from individuals looking for clean-up work. Many have TWIC cards or various hazardous materials training and certifications. LWC staff has offered training to BP and its contractors on how to access those resumes directly and will continue to offer that training. LWC staff also will continue to connect these applicants directly with job vacancies or training that prepares them for oil spill-related work. We will take all appropriate steps to ensure that people whose livelihoods have been affected by the spill, and others from Louisiana, are qualified for jobs created by the spill. However, these efforts require cooperation and transparency from BP and its contractors.