The historically huge fed stimulus gravy train is getting to soon arrive for Ma Bell and other big companies to feast upon.
Last thing good old patriotic T wants to do is let go of a bunch of US jobs right before the massive handouts begin. Go America, T says, at least until the feast is depleted and only sc-aps remain.
Watch out contractors- gonna get wiped out. Your lost job is not a payroll job, so doesn't ding T at the stimulus table any at all. So payroll workers, get ready for considerably more work, because they're sure not gonna hire anyone to replace the massive amounts of contractors which will very soon be gone. You're gonna pick up that work, and count your lucky stars you still have a job. Then, when free fed money is over, you're back on the chopping block again, with cuts going even deeper than planned before, because revenues and profits are getting ready to fall off a cliff in Q2 and likely Q3, and the piper must be paid heavily with headcount in Q4 or Wall Street and hedge funds will go on another witch hunt at Ma Bell, and we all know how much AT&T exec's fear that.