So, AT&T wants a one truck roll....one person handles everything at the customer site. Claims it is more efficient and effective for the customer. What it doesn't say is the number of workers that it will put out of a job......and the jobs that can't be handled will be outsourced.....
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I don't think it is a fantasy, in theory, if the techs have the proper tools they should be able to handle any on-site wiring (short of digging a trench). However, it seems as if the tech's job also relies on a lot of backend systems working flawlessly. This is the problem. I've witnessed problems with backend systems being ignored and just covered up with even more steps in an already bloated M&P. Guess what? The development of these backend systems has been outsourced and offshored for several years. It certainly has not made anything better.
You are right though, the aim is to massively reduce headcount. The company isn't interested in wire line anymore. They are playing a waiting game with regulators on some rules changes that will allow them to sell off/retire most of the legacy wire line assets. Instead of busting the union, they are just getting rid of all the union jobs and replacing labor (where needed) with contractors, who in some cases, subcontract a couple of more levels. This way, there are no pension obligations, no benefits to pay and any nasty mistreatment of labor can be blamed on outsource company.
The same thing is happening on the management side of the company. Anyone near 30 years of service is being surplussed and workloads are being shifted offshore for 10-30 cents on the dollar.
The thing that I don't understand is why can't we offshore/outsource the C-level jobs? I think there are plenty of business savvy folks in Slovakia who would happy take Randall's job for 1/20th what he makes. There is nothing unique about their skills. The only thing that is unique is their level of greed.
I'm a management employee and have been subjected to messaging and training vilifying the unions for years. I know it is BS. The dirty truth is that the company is woefully unprepared for a strike. The contingency training is a joke. Last year, I had 70 courses teaching me stuff about telephone switches, wiring fiber and old DSL hardware. None of it hands on. I would have been totally lost had there been a strike. They just teach the tests for the contingency training, and they are shameless about it. Like so many things in the company, it is more about the appearance of competence than actual competence.
I think a prolonged strike is the union's only hope. Preferably, during the harshest part of winter, when the weather is bad and it is harder to get stuff fixed. Let all the legacy tech crumble and let the company pile up all sorts of regulatory violations for service disruptions with no skilled labor to repair.
The supertech concept!!, it has been a long dream in the making, De_regulation and unions prevented ATT, to get rid of countless jobs, unfortunately those check and balances are crumbling before of eyes.
I find it curious that T wants one truck roll then creates three different workgroups: SDA, BSIM and SSIM. We will never have one truck roll at least not with the current contracts as they stand. The only way T can accomplish one truck roll is by eliminating wired networks from the portfolio. That may be the plan come 2020.