B737-300 CAPT DELAYS DEP FOR GALLEY EQUIP MAINT.

Narrative

ABOUT 15 MIN PRIOR TO DEP THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME THAT THE AFT CHILLER DIDN'T WORK. WE ENTERED A LOG ITEM AND NOTIFIED THE MAINT CTLR. ABOUT THE TIME THE PAX AGENT ASKED IF HE COULD CLOSE THE DOOR. I ASKED HIM TO KEEP IT OPEN BECAUSE I HAD NOT TALKED TO A MECHANIC YET. ABOUT 2 MINS LATER; THE PAX AGENT TOLD ME THAT OPS SAID TO CLOSE DOOR; I HAD WHAT I NEEDED. I TOLD HIM I STILL HAD NOT TALKED TO OR SEEN A MECHANIC YET AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT THE MECHANIC WAS GOING TO DO WITH OUR LOG ITEM. HE LEFT AND CAME BACK SAYING THAT OPS SAID HE WAS TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I TOLD HIM THE MAINT RELEASE WAS STARTING TO PRINT; BUT I STILL HAD NO CONTACT WITH MAINT. THE MAINT RELEASE SHOWED THE ITEM AS DEFERRED AND THE MEL PLACARD HAD MAINT ITEMS TO BE COMPLETED. THE FO CONTINUED TO REACH MAINT CTL ON THE RADIO AND THE PAX AGENT RELAYED TO OPS THAT WE NEEDED TO SEE A MECHANIC. WHEN THE MECHANIC SHOWED UP I ASKED HIM IF HE NEEDED TO ACCOMPLISH THE MAINT ITEMS ON THE MEL PLACARD. HE SAID YES; BUT HE WAS JUST GOING TO LET ME GO AND SEE IF IT WORKED. I TOLD HIM THAT I COULDN'T DO THAT AND THE ITEM HAS TO BE FIXED AND CLRED OR DEFERRED AND MADE INOP. AFTER THE MAINT WAS DONE AND WE PUSHED; I NOTICED THAT OPS GAVE THE DELAY TO THE COCKPIT. OPS AT ORD IS TRYING TO TRADE SAFETY FOR SPD. THEY ARE TRYING TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE PAX AGENTS NOT TO LISTEN TO THE CAPT AND FOR THE CAPT TO ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. WHILE I KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO GO UNTIL THIS WAS FIXED; I FELT THAT OPS WAS GOING TO DO ALL THEY COULD TO TRY TO GET ME TO LEAVE. SINCE OPS DOES NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE A PLANE AIRWORTHY; THEY SHOULD NOT TRY TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT MAINT ITEMS AND IF THE CREW REALLY NEEDS TO SEE A MECHANIC. WHILE THEY MAY THINK THEY ARE TRYING TO RUN AN ON TIME AIRLINE; THEY ARE CREATING AN UNSAFE OP.