ML20199D085

Partially Deleted Interview Rept of J Orris, on 961217 Re Allegation That Former Plant Employee J Massey Was Discriminated Against Because of Raised Concerns W/Design Change for Plant Advanced Off Gas Sys

ML20199D085
Person / Time
Site:	Vermont Yankee File:NorthStar Vermont Yankee icon.png
Issue date:	12/17/1996
From:	Teator J NRC OFFICE OF INSPECTION & ENFORCEMENT (IE REGION I)
To:
Shared Package
ML20199C790	List: ML20199C786 ML20199C833 ML20199C978 ML20199C980 ML20199C995 ML20199D014 ML20199D026 ML20199D042 ML20199D048 ML20199D054 ML20199D062 ML20199D069 ML20199D077 ML20199D085 ML20199D101
References
FOIA-97-365 NUDOCS 9801300138
Download: ML20199D085 (3)

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f. INTERVIEW REPORT 4

( OF JOHN ORRIS On December 17, 1996, ORRIS was interviewed by the re)orting agent.

The interview was conducted under oath in Conference Room C Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Plant (VY) Training Center, Brattleboro, VT. ORRIS was represented during the interview by J. Patrick HICKEY, Esquire, Shad, Pitman, Potts & Trowbridge, 2300 N Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20037 1128.

HICKEY's office telephone number is (202) 663 8103. HICKEY stated that he represented ORRIS and VY during the interview. ORRIS stated that it was his

, choice to have HICKEY represent him, and he understood that HICKEY might share with VY management information discussed during the interview. ORRIS stated that he was not under any pressure from VY management to have HICKEY represent him. ORRIS provided the following information regarding an al formerVYemployeeJamesMASSEYwasdiscriminatedagainstbeca(etationthat ut had /

raised concerns with a design change for the VY Advanced Off Gas (A0GS). -

1 ORR as born o His social se r is ivers 11 r is He r s His hone te e ne number is re serv the n honorable "dischar esArmyfrom19h0until1976,and th the rank of SP5. He e m % ced from the rsity of Rhode Island in . with a Bachelor of Arts .a Humanities. In he graduated from the University of New Haven (CT) with a Master of Arts dustrial Psychology. He was hired by VY as the Di-ector of Human

{ Resources in Hey 1990. He remains in that position, and his supervisor is Ross BARXHURST, VY President.

AGENT'S NOTE: MASSEY alleged that his supervisor, Pat CORBETT had a meeting with him an December 8,1994, and at the end of the meeting CORBETT told MASSEY that he was being given a written re)rimand (attached) for his poor )eriormance on the A0GS design c1ange project.

MASSEY further alleged tiat CORBETT violated VY personnel procedures by- ,

not giving him a verbal warning prior to ttie written warning, and _

because he had not Deen told before the meeting that it was going to be a disciplinary meeting.

ORRIS stated that he does not know if CORBETT violated any aersonnel procedures or policies because he doesn't know whether CORBETT discussed the poor performance with MASSEY prior to the December 8th meeting. ORRIS stated that he does not recall if he investigated MASSEY's allegation or-not. At _

that point, HICKEY produced a June 6, 1994, memorandum (attached) produced by CORBETF which documented discussions that CORBETT had with MASSEY regarding MASSEY'sperformanceontheADGSproject. ORRIS said that docuMindicates to him that CORBETT did have discussions with MASSEY regarding his performance, vior to CORBETT issuing MASSEY the written warning. ORRIS also stated that t1ere is no VY personnel policy which requires a supervisor to inform an employee that a meeting is going to be disciplinary in nature.

ORRIS added that he would not normally have a copy of a su)ervisors hand written journal in his files, but opined that he asked COR3ETT for pertinent Ci portions of the journal in response to MASSEY's allegation.

EXHlBIT h

CX5ENO. 1-962'005" g , PAGE / OF 7 PAGE(S)

E When asked why he maintained his own file on MASSEY, ORRIS stated that he does C.,-

not know when he began collecting records...

AGENT'S NOTE: i4ASSEY alleged that ORRIS told him approximately six times that the company would investigate his allegation that his 1995 job performance evaluation was unfair, and that they would make it half his fault and half VY's fault even before the investigation was begun.

ORRIS stated that he does not remember making that statement to MASSEY. ORRIS stated that he only called MASSEY two or three times at home.

ORRIS was asked why CORBE1T's November 1994, letter to MASSEY confirming MASSEY's termination was not sent to MASSEY and why MASSEY was not terminated at that time. ORRIS stated that it was normal VY policy to discuss l

' termination with an employee prior to sending the cmployee a written confirmation ~of termination. ORRIS also stated that MASSEY was not terminated at that time because he worked for VY for seventeen years, and that, although MASSEY was having significant job ~ performance difficulties, that type of termination was not the way things happened at VY." ORRIS also said that there was also no basis to terminate MABSEY based on one job yrformance review period, adding that for an employee to be terminated, there is a need for more history of poor performance.. ORRIS also added that, if an employee is not performing up to standards, then the emplo program to help the em)loyee improve performance,yee is put into a iscounseling and documentation required to indicate t1at these measures are taken prior to an emoloyee being terminated.

ORRIS stated that based on his knowledge of the MASSEY is$ue, he has no reason to believe that MASSEY's November 15, 1994, disciplinary letter and poor job _

performance evaluation rating (for the 1994 calendar year) was not justified, and saw nothing inappropriate or unjust done to MASSEY. ORRIS added that had NASSEY been employed by any other industry, his employment muld have been terminated sooner.

C s _

Reported by:

Jeffrey A. Teator, SpectiTAgent Office of Investigations Field Office, Region I attachments: as stated '

C Case No. 1 96 005 2 EXHlBIT N PAGE

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