Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

“ Well, if you are so much about fairness and doing the right thing, why do you sit by and do nothing while the guy is underpaid? LOL. Oh, he's not in the gang!”

Actually the NMNU tech is highly regarded in the crew both personally and professionally and is in all ways “one of us”. It’s At&t rules and legalities that prevent us from “doing something” as you said. We would love nothing more than for him to be getting equal pay and benefits. We’ve tried over the years. It’s the company that keeps him where he’s at. I’m open to suggestions since you seem to have all the answers? Or are you just trolling ?

Too late, IT unions should’ve been started a long time ago. Im sure the common thinking was...yeah right, this is a safe domestic field, I’ll always be needed. 👱🏻‍♂️

Now there’s endless supply of 3rd worlders with no clue, but are still dangerous, the company is good enough enough with that for now. 🧔🏿

Funny how people act like a Union is going to stop layoffs. Also funny how the one guy explains the union guys makes much more than the non-union guy doing the same exact job. Well, if you are so much about fairness and doing the right thing, why do you sit by and do nothing while the guy is underpaid? LOL. Oh, he's not in the gang! Which about sums the whole thing up.

Homey don't play that.

Seriously though, you guys would probably be better off and save some money if you hired actual clowns to represent you.

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

Thanks for the good laugh this morning.

I know is really bad out there, CWA has failed thousands of members which are not longer with us, and nothing is going to change....but How about looking for a job on your own? don't let other decide your destiny

you have heard of the National Internet Contract? we already have CWA in the IT side.

The problem with forming an IT union is that Boris form Bosnia, Sally from Slovakia, Ken from Korea and Mike from Manilla won’t sign the card, let alone understand English. Your on your own.

Join a union that actually fights for its workers. The UAW is striking for better worker treatment right now. Teachers and nurses have been calling strikes for years now.

The CWA? Crickets. They just agreed to horrible contracts in two regions with barely a meek whimper. Wire/Premesis Technicians are working continuous forced overtime, often over 10 days in a row before they get a day off in a high stress sweatshop environment and the CWA didn't see the need to fight to change this.

The CWA only cares about their older, high seniority members. New members are read headed step children to the CWA.

YES this country needs more unions. But NO we do not need unions like the CWA.

Anyone notice how the past several decades the middle class has been eroding ? Yeah it’s called increased taxes and government fees from Democrats which either directly affects the middle class or trickles down to affect the middle class. If you think the ultra-rich Democrats will pass laws to increase taxes on themselves you’re smoking some good stuff.

Don't waste your money on the CWA. If you're going to join a union I'd suggest UAW or someone else. You don't have to go with CWA nor would i refer them.

Boy someone is sure drinking the company kool-aid , which is the same glass that conservative media/foxnews/Republicans/big business serve.

Use a little common sense to separate fact from fiction. Unless you’re the business owner or independently wealthy, you should support unions as they support the middle class. Anyone notice how the past several decades the middle class has been eroding ? Pensions are gone ? You’re having to work longer for less ? Your company demands you make yourself available 24/7 ? Your medical costs are up while the quality is down ? Gee , what else has transpired all these decades. Oh right. Unions, which used to protect workers , have all been wiped out. Keep on thinking you can negotiate better on your own lol. Keep on believing unions destroy jobs while CEOs need to make 20 million 30, 40 million to feed their families. Wake up America. The foxes have been eating the hens and telling you it’s the rooster’s fault for years now.

“ It's more rules, more company control over their lives, ”

It’s actually the exact opposite. Thanks to the CWA, rules help protect my quality of life and life/work balance. I have control over my life. If the company has control over yours , then you have my sympathy and pity.

@11aVKHb4-qco, I say again. The unions are far from perfect. On the flip side , however , you have a company laying off very good workers with great skill sets just before their pension or retirement kicks in just so they don’t have to pay those employees’ benefits. Age discrimination is illegal but obviously At&t has found a way around all that by just dumping entire departments off on Accenture, IBM , and MICROSOFT. I have 25 years. I’m grateful CWA protects my employment from surplusses by seniority. I’m grateful my pension is protected. It wouldn’t be without CWA. Yes, I got a guy with 45 years who has no skills and is a lazy dirtbag in my crew. It’s not really CWA’s fault for protecting that guy’s seniority. It’s managements fault for not firing the guy long ago for performance. They could. There’s ways. It requires the manager to get out from behind his desk and do observations on his work and to make sure the guy is given his share of the workload. Most managers just don’t want to be bothered or feel they don’t have the time. That’s on management , not union. As far as everyone making the same , well, a rising tide lifts all boats. Our base pay is 80k but if we put in for standby and a little OT, we clear 100k. Show me the salaries of non union. I’ll show you almost a third less pay for them.

Form an IT union so that those with seniority are kept over those with better skills and the same percentage raises are given for everyone in the same category. No thanks.

I’m the systems tech who posted earlier. I’m already a CWA member. CWA member is not perfect but like I earlier illustrated, I see how they treat non union employees, management and non management alike. It’s a no brainer that I’m better off as CWA represented craft than middle management or someone like my co worker. I clock in at 8. I clock out at 5. I do my service orders. I do my trouble tickets. I work OT if I want extra money. I don’t , if I don’t. I have no forced OT in my group. In a company full of unhappy employees , I find my self in a pretty sweet spot. I work with engineers and other managers. I wouldn’t trade my job for any of theirs. They have way too much pressure and stress on them.

People who thing they need a union need to look at what happens. It's not just more money and benefits. It's more rules, more company control over their lives, Less freedoms to do their work. Not sure those people want to clock in and out every day, take a day off every medical appt., Made to leave work after specified hours, Work becomes time based not goal based, MSOC, BERT, And Oh that Bonus program is a goner. MIght get a couple shares of stock for performance. All Pay for all persons is the same regardless of performance and abilities.

Yvd You don’t need to worry about getting in the union because you’re craft. Just sign the card. The manager will have to make his own union and go on strike. CWA probably won’t back him anyway unless he puts out some serious cash. The problem is his job can be outsourced to Sinbad in India or Abdul in Arabia.

Last post is complete bs. Serious cash ? The union dues is like an hour or two wages. In return you get better benefits , better wages. Much better. CWA does what it can but it can’t win everything. The contract is about reaching a compromise with the company. And guess what. The less members they have , the less negotiating power they have. So let’s stop all this hatred for CWA. They do what they can for workers which is better than what workers can do on their own. Don’t believe me ? In my own crew of system techs , which are wage scale 32 CWA represented employees , we have one guy who is a NMNU (non-management non union) global tech. I think his title is Senior Field Services representative or something like that. He does EXACTLY same job as us and with us. His base salary is 65k a year. Our base salary is somewhere around 80k. We get about 500 dollars a week for standby pay. I believe he gets somewhere around $80. He gets less sick time , less vacation, less everything. He doesn’t even get pay raises unless he gets an above satisfactory evaluation. Guess what. Even though he’s probably our best tech , he doesn’t get that above sat EVER. Clearly it’s to prevent him getting a pay increase. This next contract, our pay gap will be greater as CWA members are going up by about 10k by year 5 in southeast region. He can be fired on a whim. No rights such as bumping. No grievance procedure. No one has his back when the manager forces work on him unfairly such as forced OT. I could go on but you get the idea. This company will put the screws to you if you don’t have the CWA. He is a perfect example how the company won’t reward you for going above and beyond and being an exemplary worker which he is. Just the opposite. They take full advantage. And trust me , he wants to join the union but he’s not allowed to. So if you are CWA represented , be grateful and realize how good you have it.

Make your own union and go on strike. CWA probably won’t back you anyway unless you put out some serious cash. The problem is your job can be outsourced to Sinbad in India.

Yeah, the IBEW and CWA have been great at stopping layoffs. They had this strike earlier in the month that stopped their layoffs cold. No better to keep your job than threatening to stop working.

You cannot join any union if you are a manager in title or otherwise classified as part of management. This is why at many companies , not just At&t , almost everyone is a “manager” these days ; even if they don’t manage anything. A series of laws created and beloved by Republicans over the years are purposely designed to suppress workers rights , including unionizing , by using loopholes to allow companies to classify more and more jobs as “management”. Their are sanitation and cleaning companies that find ways designate the employees that scrub toilets as managers for Pete’s sake.

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/employee-rights-book/chapter15-2.html

Hey OP. ATO is huge and there are plenty of unionized employees in ATO.

I think the IBEW covers computer workers.

You guys have the right to form a union, but pick a better one than the CWA or form your own independent union. You would be wasting you time and dues with the CWA - they will not fight for their most recent members.

In over 10 years the CWA has not even tried to improve working conditions for Premtechs/Wiretechs. Our dues go toward buying the good 'ole boys club of old timers the best union representation money can buy.