Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Re: BST SE Tentative Contract - Eliminating WRAs versus Exchange

I don't see anything beneficial for employees here, do You? It looks to me like it allows for more specific targeting of a group of employees than before. Playing devil's advocate here, it gives more leeway to the company to protect a group and circumvent around them to surplus others that they could not have specifically targeted in the past. In other words, they are all in the same WRA (which potentially no longer matters); but are in different Exchanges. Does that sound right?

I am not sure I like it. It seems to restrict the options of what a surplussed employee can do now. The pool of options and people that can be bumped by the surplussed employee has been reduced.

Opinions - Pro & Con as a result of this change.

by Anonymous
| 968 views | | 6 replies (last September 17, 2019) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+114RlpuC
Comment! It's anonymous!

6 replies (most recent on top)

Yep! This affects all techs no matter the family of skills. But, I do agree that if there is a skill set that the company wants to outsource in the future, they can steer that group of techs into one area (Exchange ~ Workcenter) which is already pretty common and surplus that group of techs without affecting other groups.

I agree with the person who said it eliminates the need for carpet bombing and can now be more effective with surgical strikes. I agree with that. I think this person has it exactly right; otherwise, the company would not have pushed for that change.

However, the way the company is mixing all skill sets under the same 1st Level Managers muddies the concept if that is what they are wanting to be able to do. In that case, it would not be a targeted skill set; but, a targeted area that they want to reduce headcount in. That would indicate a specific area (building or complex) the company may be trying to sell off to some other company. Who the hell knows. we'll find out soon enough I'm sure.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @1qgr+114RlpuC

What do system techs have anything to do with this ? This affects ALL techs.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @1ujt+114RlpuC

I still don’t feel sorry for systems techs.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @1xyd+114RlpuC

So....the Company can (over time) move targeted groups or titles to a certain area (or workcenter) and Whammo, they are all surplussed!

That may sound far-fetched but if you are in a large metropolitan area where there are several exchanges scattered throughout the city (which is pretty common), you had better make damnn sure you land in the right one or you could already be targeted for future termination.

That's the way it looks to me.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @afo+114RlpuC

Yeah, it seems to me that the Company can now do more "surgical" strikes and the groups within a geographical area remain unaffected and untouched while others in many cases literally next door are surplussed.

The cookie cutter just got a lot smaller is the way it looks to me.

One group is wiped out, while another group is unaffected.

That sounds about right to me.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @nva+114RlpuC

I don’t know what to make of it frankly. I think you are right in that it limits bumping. Now you have only 35 miles between exchanges whereas before I think you had 35 miles between WRA , which is a much bigger geographical area.

by Anonymous
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Post ID: @sde+114RlpuC

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