ODYSSEY B

I started work in Bendix Aerospace May 1978. My supervisor was Bob Goldberg.
I worked on the completion of the “HERBIE” computer project. After that worked on the “MBT” which was an RND project.
For the “MBT” I designed the ITC, serial interface, disk controller and prom simulator. My performance was above average. In 1981 Bob Goldberg was promoted to manager and my supervisor was Frank Feoranz who was one of the most if not the most respected analog and digital designer in Bendix. I contributed to the design and supervised building the MBC and DIC prototypes. I completed the design of the system power supply interface and address generator cards, also the designs of the low speed controller, clock generator. Wrote systems test programs and integrated the above sub systems to the 13A9070 test bed. At that time completed NJIT course on assembly language programming. My performance was rated above average. Frank wanted me to be promoted to staff engineer but I was turned down by Goldberg.

In 1982 Frank Feoranz and Bob Greenberg exchanged department and mt supervisor was Bob Greenberg. At that time I was sent to work on loan for Bob Wilensky for the MATE/A-10 IATS program. I improved the design of the Raster Memory and coordinated the Sub System’s evaluation. I improved the design of the Composite Video and also coordinated the Sub System’s evaluation. Directed laboratory personnel towards the successful debugging of the VDG test fixture, wrote the test procedure and performance requirements for the Raster Memory. At that time they needed me in the MATE program and I asked for a transfer to that group. Bob Greenberg did not let me go because he needed me in his group and I was working for MATA on overtime. At that time also I had finished an in house course on linear systems. When the time for the performance review came I was rated by Barry Walensky “exceeded requirements” and wanted to put me for promotion to staff engineer. Bob Greenberg refuse and he said that he is my supervisor and he has to do the evaluation. I went to complain to the manager Bob Goldberg. I said Bob why Greenberg does this? I did not even work for him yet, or why he does not let me work for MATE?
Do not worry Andy Bob needs you. It is OK.
So I got my performance review by both and was “above requirements”.
I kept on working helping MATE on over time. In this year I worked on the power supply requirements, conducted study of the VIM modules.
Investigate the possibility of a discreet design and generate the design speck. Design a single board computer the DTP controller, Programmable Strobe Generator, built a Phase Lock Loop. On the performance I got “average”. I ask again to be transferred to another department and I was again turned down. Bob Greenberg needs you Goldberg said. Then I said why does not promote me to staff engineer? I have designed more than ¾ of the hardware of the DTP project; I have done double the work than other staff engineers. This time I started the masters program that was an in house program from New Jersey Institute of Technology. NJIT
25 engineers participated. From those 25 only four graduated.
I was the first to finish in 1986.
The other three finished in 1987.The program then stopped because there were 4 students left. The others had dropped out or failed.
I completed the DTP chassis assembly. The controller board went to drafting the week of October 12. Released to EMC to be built the following week. Board was not received till March 5. Board has been debugged 80% and interfaced to High speed and clock Controller.
Effort stopped due to transfer to the F-111 program.
Follow up on fabrication and prototype for the VIM modules, also tested the CP202 receivers for the GATE. Assisted the Gate Proposal, testing various drivers and receivers. Assisted the MATE program (A10 WART HOG) by testing and debugging the Composite Video and Raster Memory boards.
Assisted the F-111 program by writing TRD’s including all using Intel’s
(8742). at this time I took an Intel seminar for the Multibus II. My performance review was “above average”.
I went to Bob Goldberg and asked again “Bob when Bob Greenberg is going to make me a staff engineer? I have been with the company 9 years. Look at the work I have done in comparison with the other staff engineers in the group. Neil Bernoff and Abe Rosin. At least give me a raise my pay is so low. I am ashamed to tell my wife. I like my work here in Bendix. I do not want to go some place else.
Bob Goldberg said. ‘You will get your adjustment.
Greenberg is not very easy with marking he is a good supervisor you are doing very good”.
The next rating period I went back working on the integration of the Digital Test Processor. The DTP, I/O Interface, CCA designs were proved functional. That was over ¾ of the hardware design on the project.
Greenberg gave me another “above average” rating and he sent me to work for Bob Boycheck.
This is the year 1986 when I got my second Masters from NJIT.
He took me out of the group so he can take credit for the hardware design. He kept on insisting that I only design 1 card for the project.
He wanted to give the credit to Neil Bernoff who all these years was spending his time helping Greenberg doing his administrating work.
Not event a mention for promotion, he gave me the adjustment finally.
As I said before I worked for Bob Boycheck 1986-1987.
I was given the difficult task of designing the entire control section for the RF Switching Interface Drawer. I met the entire objective, completing the schematic design of the Controller, CCA, and Driver Boards. My performance was “above average”.
In 1987 I get transferred to the F-15 program to work for John Costantini.
I was assigned to design the Stimulus CCA for the Antenna /LVPS C$D Drawer.
I met my objective by completing the design which involved interfacing with the systems engineers. John Costantini gave me a rating for the 1987-1988 period “above average”. March 1 1988 I wrote a memo to John Costantini about my work status, that I had finished the design for the Stimulus Card. The card was in the CAD, and effort was needed only any time the Drafting Department had any questions for me. At this time I said I have no tasks to do. I would like if possible to work on hardware design, Digital, Microprocessor, etc.
He said that he will try to transfer me in some other department.
At that time Bob Greenberg became a Manager of the F-15.
Costantini told me see if Greenberg can use you.
I went to Greenberg and told me that he had no opening for me.
After all these years he could not let me transfer now had no opening.
Norm Rubenstein and Cas Neimasack asked for me to work but they
did not let me. I went many times to Bob Goldberg now is a director of engineering and asked him what is going on with Bob Greenberg.
He told me it is up to Greenberg and he also asked me if I am in good terms with him.
I said yes, why not.
- Norm Rubenstein told me many times that Greenberg was saying that you have design only 1 card for the DTP and also in the management meetings he talks against you.
They installed computer terminals on every desk but not in mine.
13 years in Bendix Greenberg made sure I had no terminal. Costantini was a puppet and had no engineering or managerial capabilities once or ever. Many times he screamed at me coming to my desk threatening that he will fire me for drinking coffee in the meantime every one will be walking around talking and drinking coffee. He would find any reason to put me down and insult me then later on he will come and apologize to me. He kept on saying to me to see if I can transfer to some other department because his budget is low. I said John I designed anew Board why do not let me debug the Board and put me in the integration group?
He said that he chose persons that can work different shifts and be free to travel. I said John is not fair I designed the Board (that is the card testing the LVPS Antenna for the F-15) and I have the right to be on the integration team. He did not want to put me in the integration team because he was going to get rid of me sooner or later. It was a matter of time and he wanted to build a case. Greenberg did not like the idea to have me around because it reminds him than I designed ¾ of the hardware of the DTP Project, which made him a Manager. So he used Costantini the spineless incompetent puppet who was afraid of his own job and tried to save his skin. Every one in work knows how incopitent Costantini is and they are amazed how he got there and became a supervisor. And now the big railroad job starts.
He will not give me a steady job he will shuffle me around doing dog work for every one, meaningless jobs, I will take orders from engineers who were steps below me who had never design anything and if so very little. Inspire all of these I was doing my job because I had a wife and five kids to support and I was hoping that some day things will get better.
To keep the dates straight October 1988 my performance for that year was “above average”.
Now the big railroad job starts.
On December 1988 Costantini transfers me and Joe Guglielmo to the A-7
Program. He said to help them with expediting for 2 months. I worked
under George Ellis. The two months became five. I went back to Costantini who wanted Ellis to give me and Joe Guglielmo a review for the five months. At that time the markings of the rating system were changed. Before were from 1 to 5 with 3 being the average. Now the markings became from 1 to 4 with 2 being the average “expected results”. Ellis gave me a 3. have in mind now that this is not a performance review it is only a performance letter that Costantini asked. The A-7 Program had no opening for me and Costantini wanted to get rid of me. This is in reply to my performance. Mr. Ellis states that the following in his letter, tasks were not worked with enthusiasm or imagination. Given the simplicity of the assignments they were not completed in a timely fashion. The task was to expedite parts and organizations of layouts for test beds in Florida. In other words we had to take the assembly layout of the different cards and find substitute. If the part was not in stock room mark the layout and send the whole package to Florida. I carried these tasks out in such a manner that I sent the layouts to Florida ahead of schedule. I even devised my own method instead of typing a new parts list, I had the equivalent parts next to the old parts right on the assembly. That was an easy way for the layout man to assemble and save a lot of paper work. I was commended by George and Lorry for devising this method that speeded up the work flow. It came to a point that the cards for the test beds in Florida were ahead of the tests beds here in Teterboro Plant. I even spent a lot of time helping the stockroom to expedite the parts. If that does show imagination or enthusiasm, what else does? The test beds for Florida were finished; at that point I started helping the test bed production here in Teterboro. Every morning I asked the different supervisors to give me a task, anything to help. I was making copies of the schematics and constantly asking “can I help”, I will do anything. I was promised in the beginning that after the original task of collecting parts for the test beds that I will be involved in testing and other tasks, that I would help the program. Nothing like this happened even though I was asking constantly; I was never any engineering task. After the first 2-3 months, I was given a layout that would take me ½ a day to complete and told to make it last a week because there was nothing else for me to do. So I spent the rest of the time studying the schematics of the different cards in hope that I would be allowed to contribute more to the program, I found no encouragement. It seems that the only thing they wanted me for was to get the parts and when the parts were finished not to let me get involved with anything else. I never complained of the nature of the job and I contributed more than what they asked me to do for the program. One day George asked me to go to New York, to get some parts, I said, “George it is raining, I do not know New York, and my car is not in good shape”. That was the (expediting parts outside the plant was refused) incident. Mr. Ellis states that “an attempt to give Andy a task of engineering nature resulted to satisfactory completion in the task” however what should have taken 4-6 hours took a week. Mr. Ellis forgot that the engineering task was completed in two hours. I believe that a misunderstanding exists between me and my direct supervisor. I have tried to help but constantly asking for any task but the response of management lately has been limited. I believe that the afore mentioned performance letter is inaccurate and unsubstantiated and without a doubt, unfair. I gave copies of this letter to J. Levinthal, R. Boston, L. Gioelli, G. Ellis, and J. Costantini. And now I am back with J. Costantini. I said, “ John what are you trying to do?” do not worry when the time comes for the performance review we are going to take an average, you got the 3 that is only for half the period if you perform good your rating will go back to normal. I said, “You know John my work in the beginning when I came in to your department you wanted to put me on top of the project but the next day you had my name on the bottom of the list and we both know that Greenberg would not let you. “In the meantime David Purvis became director of engineering taking the place of J. Levinthal. The next five months I work doing paper work for the integration. One day for Costantini was very pleasant and came to me and said, “Andy Come and see your board it works in the systems.” That was the first time I showed my board after I have designed it. The marking period came. He gave me the lowest part. I got very angry. He gave a -4- I went to personnel to John Norcross. He said, “Do not worry you are going to be on probation for a few months and your supervisor will give you some tasks and as long as you fulfill them you will be ok.” But I said, “John, I should not even be in that position, this is untrue, and ludicrous.” This is a set up. I do not who is behind everything but I will go and complain someplace to find my rights.” Supposedly the personnel department is on the side of the engineer! I went to Costantini and he told me that he told me that he will give me some tasks to do and everything will be OK. On October 10, 1989 a set of tasks and I was assigned to Tom Swietek and Abby Mayer. The tasks were….
Objective #................ Target Dates……………….Completed..

#1 10/20/89 10/17/89
#2 11/10/89 10/24/89
#3 11/17/89 10/30/89

Total Target Dates 11/17/89 Completed 10/30/89

I was given 36 days, it took me 18 days. While I was doing my tasks on December 15, 1989 Costantini for no reason once again started screaming at me, he took me to his office along with the other engineer who was on probation, Joe Guglielmo, and after making fun of my cloths he strongly recommended that we should seek another position of employment outside of Bendix. I said, “ John after 12 years and all the work I have done where can I go now you know you are messing around with my career, there are no jobs any place, it isn’t easy for a 49 year old engineer to find a job now….. You know that I am a better engineer than most of what you got here in your department, why you have done this to me? He assigned me to the CY Moreno for more tasks…. More tasks like a kindergartner child who has been punished. My new tasks were 8 and they had to do with making a new cable assembly for both the Oscilloscope drawers in the Arts Station which had mechanical interference problems. The assignment was of mechanical nature a very one but there were a lot of politics and paper work due to that constantly we had to get the ok from the mechanical engineers. On February 6, 1990 all the tasks were done. A lot of times I had to work all those tasks at the same time. I was constantly asking for a review and the review was postponed. I kept a log for all those tasks. On February 12, 1990 he gave me my review.
Another 4 “unsatisfactory results”. His reason was
(In the redesign of the ARTS Oscilloscope cables an important task was to issue a stop order to halt the manufacture and production of the existing design scope cables. The existing design cables were being replaced with new design cables. Andy did not issue The Stop Order which was indicated to him in writing on 11/29/89 and again on 1/17/90. As a result, production continued to manufacture the existing scope cables for the 5 Arts Production Stations. On 2/6/90, Andy issued The Stop Order. However the Stop Order was too late! The total scrap cost to TSD is $10,411 and in addition, caused a delay to Arts Production build of the Oscilloscopes. 20 years as an engineer I have never heard such BULLSHIT. He tried hard to find something to frame me. I was told by CY Moreno to write the Stop Order at the end because we were waiting for Mcair to decide on the configuration of the cable assembly. I did a great job on the cable assembly and I was even complemented by Costantini “what a good job you done Andy and everything will be back to normal, you done the assembly that the mechanical group was fooling around for so long. ECN’S were given to mechanical engineering on 1/19/90. Even the day I issued the stop order, Moreno told me “we can not issue the stop order wait until the ECN’S are signed.” In the assignment that CY Moreno gave me item #4 was referring to the Stop Order (4.) prepare Stop Orders against the existing cables to be removed by 12/5/89. I asked CY about the meaning of (????) and he told me “DO NOT BOTHER WITH THAT IT IS NOT IMPORTANT WE DO IT AT THE END.” Stop Order is form that you fill and takes no time at all and I wanted to do it since it was a fast thing to do and finish one of the tasks. After that I went to Personnel and asked for a Performance Appraisal Appeal. It was taking long. On 2/28/90 I went to EEOC to file charges of Age Discrimination. On March 1990 I got my Performance Appraisal Appeal, by the director of engineering D. Purvis. That was a kangaroo court that was held in two sessions. The first one was with Ellis and the second one was with Costantini. On both sessions of course were present Purvis (the High Incuisitioner), and J. Norcross, the director of Human Relations. I knew it was a waste of time but I gave it a shot. I told them that everything was lies and I have all the work I have done show me any mistakes… but they were playing with words. I had all tasks down put Purvis he did not even have the courtesy to look at it. Both times Ellis and Costantini could not say anything they were sitting with there faces red. On March 26, 1990 Purvis revised my performance appraisal from a rating 4 to a rating of 3 “ indicating a level of performance that can and should be improved, but which is not job threatening. I am counting on your experience, skill and most importantly, your desire to get the job done. Purvis arranged an assignment for me in another division at Teterboro the Flight System Division. I was troubleshooting and analyzed problems of analog and digital circuits. My project leaders Don Porawski Carmen Telleri have told me that they were satisfied with my performance. 7 weeks later, they told me my assignment at Flight was finished, they thanked me for the help and I was to report back to Test System. At Test Systems, I was told that there is nothing for me the Engineering Department and have been assigned clerical work in an administrative group. I went to EEOC on May 20, 1990 and I wrote a letter stating that “ I feel that the Test Systems Division is continuing its discrimination against me.” In the meantime I had a 3 week vacation coming from 1989 in which I had to take otherwise I could loose it. I had to take the vacation before July 1989. On June 9, 1990 my Father past away, I called in and told them I was taking my vacation. While on vacation June 19,1990 Personnel called me and told me to be there 1:00p.m. I was laid off. Then I went back to EEOC and filled charges for retaliation, age discrimination (49), national origin (Greek). Bendix became an Allied Signal. I was trying to find a lawyer to take my case but looking at the names involved no one taking it. One Irish man offered to take my case but he needed $15,000 to start it, I did not have that kind of money. One day I went to a Greek Festival with a friend John Lekos, he introduced me to a young Greek Cypriot Lawyer, Peter Ioannou. He took the case on contingency. It took us 2 years, and the two Greeks, one Lawyer and one Engineer took up the Giant Allied Signal and WON!!!

These are the Carts that I have designed for Bendix -Allied Signal:

1. Address Generator
2. DTP Controller
3. I/O
4. CLK CLK
5. PS Rack DTP
6. SCI Serial Communication Interface & Parallel Port
7. Dual Multi-Phase Clock Dip
8. DMA for the SA3800 Disk Controller
9. DTP Low Speed Controller
10. Prom Simulator
11. Timer Counter Control
12. Dual Port Memory
13. IEEE 488 Interface 2128302
14. CMOS Pin Electronics 2128624
15. Interrupt Timer Controller 3593423
16. DTP Programmable Strobe Generator 6405821
17. DTP TRU Controller 6405824
18. I/O Interface Digital Test Processor 6406951
19. ITC Interrupt Timer Controller 6406951
20. Controller RF Switching Interface 3593422
21. Driver Bit Microwave Plug-In #1 6413015
22. Milimeter wave Down converter Bit #3 6414978
23. Driver Bit Microwave Plug-In #2 6413030
24. Driver Bit Measurement Routing 6413033
25. Driver Bit HF-UHF 6413036
26. Arts Stimuli 6414725

After that I worked as a contract engineer for various companies

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Thanks to my beautiful granddaughter Madeline for her typing

ODYSSEY B

Saturday, October 5, 2013

wedding

Thursday, December 15, 2011

QUANTUM

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

13 years in Bendix Aerospace and my law suit

something new

About Me