can't initialize speechRecognition on cordova - kendo-ui

Question

I have an app written in Keno UI (Telerik). I'm using build.phonegap.com to build runtime for my app, using cordova and Kendo. I'm stuck on getting the speechrecognition plugin to initialize. I'm sure it's something stupid but I'm not sure what it is.
Below is a copy of my config.xml file:
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<widget id="ca.xyz.mmb" version="1.0.0" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/ns/widgets" xmlns:cdv="http://cordova.apache.org/ns/1.0">
<name>mmb</name>
<description>
Integrated Mobile Billing for XYZ Customers
</description>
<author email="support#xyz.ca" href="http://xyz.ca">
Go Team
</author>
<content src="index.html" />
<plugin name="cordova-plugin-compat" spec="^1.2.0" />
<plugin name="cordova-plugin-file" spec="^4.3.3" />
<plugin name="cordova-plugin-speechrecognition" spec="1.2.0" />
<access origin="*" />
<allow-intent href="http://*/*" />
<allow-intent href="https://*/*" />
<allow-intent href="tel:*" />
<allow-intent href="sms:*" />
<allow-intent href="mailto:*" />
<allow-intent href="geo:*" />
<platform name="android">
<allow-intent href="market:*" />
</platform>
<platform name="ios">
<allow-intent href="itms:*" />
<allow-intent href="itms-apps:*" />
</platform>
<engine name="ios" spec="^4.3.1" />
</widget>
Below is a copy of the relevant portion of the build:
Build Date: 2018-10-16 05:38:36 +0000
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLUGIN OUTPUT
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fetching plugin "cordova-plugin-compat#^1.2.0" via npm
Installing "cordova-plugin-compat" at "1.2.0" for android
Fetching plugin "cordova-plugin-file#^4.3.3" via npm
Installing "cordova-plugin-file" at "4.3.3" for android
Plugin dependency "cordova-plugin-compat#1.2.0" already fetched, using that version.
Dependent plugin "cordova-plugin-compat" already installed on android.
The Android Persistent storage location now defaults to "Internal".
Please check this plugin's README to see if your application needs any changes in its config.xml.
If this is a new application no changes are required.
If this is an update to an existing application that did not specify an "AndroidPersistentFileLocation" you may need to add:
"<preference name="AndroidPersistentFileLocation" value="Compatibility" />"
to config.xml in order for the application to find previously stored files.
Fetching plugin "cordova-plugin-speechrecognition#1.2.0" via npm
Installing "cordova-plugin-speechrecognition" at "1.1.2" for android
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PROJECT PROPERTIES
Below is the initalization code for the program.
(function () {
var bootstrap = function () {
$(function () {
alert("running bootstrap");
app.mobileApp = new kendo.mobile.Application(document.body, {
transition: 'slide',
skin: 'flat',
initial: 'components/home/view.html',
statusBarStyle: 'black-translucent',
layout: 'main'
});
alert("speech init "); //this is the last alert that pops up
window.plugins.speechRecognition.isRecognitionAvailable(
function(result) {
useSpeech = result ; alert("speech");
},
function(err) {
useSpeech = false; alert(err);
}
);
alert("done speech init");
});
};
bootstrap();
The place where I try to run isRecognitionAvailable is where it fails. I'm not sure why. I've tried putting in an alert for window.plugins just to see what it says but that always comes back undefined. A search on google implies that that is normal, so that doesn't help me much.