I am a rehire from Telco 1977 adding 5 plus years to my original 30.. As I work daily through each 'event', I am continually reminded of how much I miss the Comm Techs; Outside Techs; CO Techs; Service Reps; TNAC; OSPEs and all the personnel with whom I worked who had 'skin in the game' that made things happen. Those that remain from that era can still make things happen but are constrained in ways so unnecessary that business does not progress as timely as it once would have. The outsource groups from 'where-ever-ville' just do not get it. We are able to move forward with the technological changes and most of us with our backgrounds have the 'critical thinking' skills to still make things happen and not lose money for the company with preventable mistakes that I observe being made by many of the more recent hires doing things to just 'get paid' and running off before the mess hits the fan; no it does not apply to all of them but enough of them. Remember that we all follow in someone's footsteps!!!. Respect it. It will be appreciated more often than you may think. Prepare yourself so that you may pass along your 'best' to someone coming after you.
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It was once a career, competent loyal employees. There was pride and ownership. It’s a paycheck today. So much animosity between craft and management it’s no wonder the only thing a that gets accomplished is cones, rubber gloves, mirrors folded in and all that jazz. Prem techs and a lot of managers have no idea how great this job once was.
Aw, thanks Grandpa.
You sound like a manager OP.
OOPS - I mean the UAW fought successfully. DEFINITELY not the CWA. Can't Win Anything is useless as a union.
The young technicians are just trying to keep from losing their jobs. They have to cut every corner they can to meet unrealistic performance expectations to keep themselves off of a Performance Improvement Plan, which is just another name for a pathway to unemployment.
When you were a young tech, you had a union that fought tooth and nail to give you good pay, good benefits, and decent working conditions. Prem/Wire Technicians do not have that. We have a 2 tier system at AT&T were the junior technicians are paid less and treated worse. And the union does nothing.
GM just experienced their longest strike in 50 years as the CWA SUCCESSFULLY eliminated their 2 tier pay system. Meanwhile, the CWA obliviously ignored the chance for the districts to work together when their contracts expired and instead bent over backwards for a horrible new contract without so much as a whimper.
GTFA with that, its a free for all out here and you know it. When the union allowed the division of its ranks core vs non core, it effed everything up. I have yet to meet an old timer (+30 years) who is not as self entitled A hooole.
You are oh so right about the "skin in the game". It's glaringly absent everywhere that work work has been outsourced or contracted out. And the young 'uns coming out of school will fiercely protect their work life balance. I don't blame them. Look were it got us.