Railroaded by Chevron, Fired Workers Claim

Three Chevron welders who were forced out after a company investigation into drug use at its El Segundo refinery said in interviews in the last week that they are not involved with drugs and were unfairly treated.

“Somehow, I got railroaded into this thing,” said Clifford Robbins, who said he had filed a grievance against Chevron. He said that despite positive evaluations and commendations throughout the 8 1/2 years he worked for Chevron, he was fired after accusations that he bought speed, whose chemical name is methamphetamine, at the refinery.

“I have always been, and still am, drug-free,” Robbins said.

The other two complaining about Chevron’s treatment are Ron Jackson, a Chevron employee for 12 years, and Leo Orozco, who worked for Chevron for nine years. Both said they will be filing grievances with Local 351 of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers.

2 Grievances Filed

Company spokesman Rod Spackman said Thursday that two of the eight employees who were ousted for allegations of drug involvement had filed grievances against Chevron. In addition to the eight employees who were terminated in late July, Chevron also barred 11 contract employees from working at the refinery because of similar allegations.

No arrests were made.

Spackman declined to comment on individual cases, but added: “No one was railroaded. This company is not in the business of terminating people without cause.”

Robbins, 33, a Glendale resident, said he had denied involvement with drugs in a July interview with company investigators but was suspended afterward without being told what he was suspected of having done.

“At no time was I asked to give a urine or blood specimen, and they weren’t interested in taking one. At this point in time, I smelled a fish. Things didn’t look good,” he said. “So I took it upon myself at my expense to go to my doctor . . . and requested a personal drug screening encompassing all drugs.”

Robbins said the $155 test was done under the surveillance of the medical clinic and showed no drugs. He said he brought the results to a meeting with his supervisor, Norm C. Hellerud, and the head of employee relations.

“It was my ace in the hole but it didn’t do me any good,” he said.

“I had the copy of the drug screening results in my hand. I had to force them to look at it. They weren’t interested. Mr. Hellerud did not even look at it. He laid it on the desk. At that point, they told me I was being terminated for purchasing speed four to five times in the refinery.

“At that point, I was floored. They told me I could resign. I said: ‘I am certainly not resigning. You can terminate me right now. You haven’t heard the last of this.’ ”

Jackson, 37, a Westchester resident who has worked for Chevron for 12 years, said he was unfairly accused of “doing some lines of speed.” He said that years ago he had occasionally smoked marijuana off the refinery grounds when he was off duty. The last time he did that was six or seven years ago, he said.

“I have what I consider a very clean record,” he said. “They railroaded us real good.”

Orozco, 29, an Inglewood resident who worked for Chevron for nine years, said he lost his job after following the advice of his union steward “to cooperate . . . because it would save my job.” He said he admitted to smoking marijuana on refinery grounds “10 to 15 times” before 1985, when he stopped smoking the drug.

Orozco said he was not offered a chance to take a blood test to prove that he had given up marijuana.

All three men, who are married and have children, said they are looking for work.