Local
Posted on Thu, Nov. 30, 2007
Supervisor criticizes whistle blower's attitude
THINKS COMPLAINT WAS MEANT TO CLOUD ISSUE
By Ashlee Clark
ACLARK@HERALD-LEADER.COM
A former employee suing Blue Grass Army Depot developed a negative demeanor that contributed to disqualification from his position, a former depot commander testified yesterday during a federal whistle-blower hearing.
Witnesses also denied Donald Van Winkle's allegations that he was treated unfairly after he voiced concerns about air monitoring practices at the depot in Madison County.
"I think he was treated fairly. In fact, I think I bent over backwards for Mr. Van Winkle, maybe too much," said Lt. Col. George Shuplinkov, the commander of the Chemical Activity section of the depot from July 2004 to July 2006.
The behavior between Van Winkle and his supervisors was the main focus of the third day of Van Winkle's hearing.
Van Winkle says supervisors reduced his duties and denied him training, hazard pay, overtime and advancement opportunities after he expressed concerns that the depot wasn't accurately monitoring air quality inside its chemical weapons storage igloos.
The depot contends that he lost some of his privileges because of poor work, a negative attitude and a distrust of his managers.
Supervisors temporarily disqualified Van Winkle from the chemical personal reliability program in August 2005. The program is an evaluation to see whether an employee meets depot criteria. The classification was required for Van Winkle to work with chemical weapons.
That month, Van Winkle filed an affidavit stating his concerns about the depot. Shuplinkov said he thought Van Winkle hastily filed the affidavit to "cloud the issue of his attitude."
Problems began to develop between Van Winkle and chemical operations director Thomas Bilyeu. The conflict between the two peaked during an October 2005 meeting with Shuplinkov. At the meeting Van Winkle "lost his cool" and told Bilyeu he could never trust him, Shuplinkov testified.
Trust between employees and their managers is required in the chemical personal reliability program, Shuplinkov said.
Van Winkle was permanently disqualified from the program in March 2006, but Shuplinkov said he planned a rehabilitation program for Van Winkle to regain his status. Jim Rooney, a former civilian executive assistant at the depot, said such a program had never been attempted before.
However, Van Winkle began receiving disability after injuring a vertebra in April 2006 at his home. He said he thought he would be fired if he didn't take the disability.
Rooney and Shuplinkov testified that they were unaware of any managerial pressure.
Van Winkle resigned from the depot Oct. 31, 2006, and has been unemployed since.
Under a federal whistle-blower law that protects employees from retaliation, Van Winkle wants his name cleared and is seeking compensation for loss of pay, mental anguish and stress.
The hearing will continue at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the University of Kentucky College of Law courtroom.
Reach Ashlee Clark in the Richmond bureau at (859) 626-5878.