Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Uhhh if you’re low man on the totem pole in an area with lots of senior techs and you have a lot invested in your career and there’s no other comparable jobs in your area. A lot of you probably would like them to get rid of L1s across the board. Then you’d “really” enjoy your job even more. Yeah right. What a stupid a** post.

My supervisor went into management because he had low seniority.; He was about to be bumped, and had no where else to go. They liked him; so offered him the management job to save him.

If you’re numbers aren’t very good it’s either termination or go back to last craft job held if lucky. The spread sheet determines who goes or stays.

L1 & L2 managers are just puppets now,all their power was removed years ago!!

I was a manager in Business Services my friend. Completely different than POTS/U-Verse/Cable Repair.

@1iod......" I became increasingly frustrated with being relegated to mundane tasks...".....so you went into management?....A monthly safety observation and quality review on each tech along with daily conference calls isn't mundane? L1's are nothing but the L2's boy, simple yes-men. They have extremely limited authority. They have 0 control over their employment. L1's are at the mercy of their crew's numbers to help keep their job. They can't order tools, can't get cable replaced, cant control their own dispatch pool. The real "phone men" who made management in the 70's & 80's are no longer wanted these days. T wants yes-men to fill their management positions.: Lots of folks stay away, others go running towards it.

This company treats 1st lines like c**p. Seriously. 2nd line supervisors have absolutely no respect for 1st lines. If you are a 1st line you are stuck doing boring work 2nd lines don't want to do. Slag work. Not "important" enough to make a meaningful contribution but needed only to do slag work 2nd lines think they are much too important to do themselves. If you aren't the manager's pet, you are nothing. My 2nd line certainly didn't respect me, although he put on a good game face; acted like he cared and all. That nutjob should have been gone years ago, he was worthless. I would not recommend any recent graduate coming to work here.

You got to have rocks in your head to go to management. It USE to be a good job...when they paid you overtime! Hasn’t been a good job for 15 years!! I’ll stick to being craft, retire when I want and do quite well.

One thing about being L1/L2 management. No one cares about seniority. All merit is based off your individual work experience, education and accomplishments. Seniority with the union is stupid/archaic/inflexible which doesn’t bode well for money making businesses.

Also, I just got really tired of the grunt work and zero responsibility/control associated with outside craft jobs at AT&T. As the network has become more automated and less intelligence is needed to really work on software/hardware at that level, more manual labor type tasks have been used to fill in the work gaps....Exmp =

1. Migrating non-designed broadband work that requires lots of ladder/pole climbing and inside wiring to group 1 craft.
2. Automating TTU procedures for new systems and network elements
3. Automated testing solutions that are good enough that the novice to intermediate tech doesn’t even have to have a basic understanding of the technology they are working on. Don’t believe me....Go ask ANY specials tech what the differences are between AMI and B8ZS line coding options for T1 and its doubtful you’ll get a correct answer. They probably wouldnt even be able to tell you what the acronyms mean and the technology has been deployed since the late 60’s early 70’s and they work on it every day. Nearly all DSL technologies outside of G.Fast used by T utilize DMT line coding and FDM for channel carriers. Ask nearly ANY outside tech about these coding and multiplexing techniques and I guarantee you’ll get a blank stare. Again, they work on these technologies (ADSL/ADSL2/ADSL2+/VDSL/VDSL2) EVERY day.

I found it quite embarrassing to work around “tech” people all the time who didn’t really have any concept of that. Bottom line = Useless craft techs, who can’t spell their on name make exactly the same amount of money as the highly educated genius across the team room at just about every level in the craft world. I became increasingly frustrated with being relegated to mundane tasks while a peer with way less experience and knowledge was tasked with performing complex work that I was easily capable of. Explanation from management = “A tech is a tech is a tech”. Need I say more....

I was craft for 15 years before becoming a L1 manager in Specials/ABFS (Business Services) . Also pulled a year in DEG (C&E) before recently being promoted into a L2 job after 6 years as a L1. DEG was a breeze (maybe not a year from now since they just merged with BS), but I can honestly say that Business Services was a rough ride and I had previous experience as both a Specials and DEG tech so I knew the job well. The level of micromanagement at the area manager level and the fact that the Network Managers have to be so highly engaged with everything drove me to the brink. I learned a lot about leadership, business analysis and advanced problem solving, but I am much happier now in the new job. I don’t make 120K a year, but I also don’t work Very much if any OT that I don’t want to and I’m able to apply creative/design thinking nearly everyday. That’s a pipe dream for network managers. They spend most days just trying to knock out ridiculous layers of compliance on top of union tech/customer fire drills every 10min.

@cwn & @qba- speak with your L1 or L2. The fastest way to the position is to “Coat tail”. You need to be serious about it. You need an unblemished work record and need to give the appearance that you’ll fall in line. They will only offer once or twice in your career. You need to be confident and have the ability to be a self starter. Kissing bottom is not necessary. Just need the perception of being above reproach. But remember when you cross you’re on your own. No Union to protect you. It’s a thankless job but very satisfying knowing you’re making a difference. Good luck.

Being a low man in seniority and watching the robbery that’s happening between the Old IR techs doing the most to do the least amount of work makes me want to throw up in my mouth. All first lines seem to be best friends with who they manage so accountability is horrible at best. Most union reps are old and only see 1 or 2 years down the road. Most 20+ year workers have clearly checked out and are only waiting for a “good package”. IR side is clearly being lead by the old guys only looking toward retirement. I’ve never seen so many people get rewarded for not knowing there job. When I meet a new face I almost want to ask “what don’t you do?” first... so I don’t waste my time asking them for help. It’s a sh– show and its tolerated because they built it. I’m riding this ship until it sinks because it does pay great, but clearly the old techs don’t want to learn sh–, they think they don’t have to adapt and change... But again most just want a good package and there gone...sh– show... So to answer the question of becoming a first line, I would and I am trying because thru management maybe I can help get rid of the dead weight in this company. AT&T is a machine that won’t stop because you do. Change is coming...

For me , I prefer the sun and the exercise and meeting new people, over being behind a desk. Humans were not designed to be at a desk all day. It’s just not healthy. I come home every day feeling like I worked and it feels good. I’ve filled in for my manager before and it’s just constant stress and babysitting. No thanks.

At the OP, yeah kinda be outta your mind to cross over from Craft to L1. I can say this, back in the day it was somewhat worth it. Way back the strategy was to crossover late in your work career because when you did, all your time in the Company converted into Management time which gave you a bump in pension and was free Medical when you retired. In the mid 90’s your time changed. Craft time was up until crossover. When you crossed you started the Management pension. When I retired I had 2 pensions, Craft and Management. Combined it totaled higher than a Craft employee with the same amount of time in the Company. As long as you’re not driven by dollars it is rewarding. Challenges were tough but if you’re not afraid of a challenge it’s rewarding. You do get hammered from both side but if you’re fair but firm the crew situation is fine. The professional employee that gets it makes it easier. The knuckleheads are just that but it’s awesome when you can get them to consider changing their ways. Becoming a L1 isn’t for everyone. The guys that crow that they’d never become L1 Managers wouldn’t survive. You need to be a motivator and good communicator to even have a chance. The biggest lesson I learned as an L1 is, if you came in with patience, you’ll learn that you’ll have to quadruple that over your management career. If you need the Union to survive in the Company don’t become an L1. If you’re confidant in your actions and know you don’t need the Union to b
ack you, you’ll be fine. Can’t be afraid of work.

@qba+13GgjiOj, better to be bored than stressed out and worried about your job performance numbers constantly. Especially since your numbers will mostly be determined by your crew. This is not the time to go into management. Once management , they can rid of you on a whim.

I know people that went from Craft to Management, but they took a pay cut. Very few want the pay cut

I remember the craft guys that I worked with would stand around BS'ingat the beginning of April and boast how they all hit the Social Security Tax max already after the first quarter of the year. Do the math!

I’m craft and I’m considering it. We aren’t all in the same situation. I make zero overtime and am bored out of mind most days. I agree that most first lines make little impact but I am sick and tired of hearing about all this money everyone is making especially the id–t ones.