Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

It tells you exactly in the union book sometime in August. 10 day frame.

To 1iau: Remember, there was a time when all work(whatever the service was) from the serving terminal in to the Jack was done by a wage scale 30 service tech dues payer. It was the bottom of the ladder for outside work, but it wasn't "$hitty". Lots of good Service Techs did their job well for years . So how was it right to take that work and give it to a created lower wage scale dues payer? Who really $crewed who first?....that's right, the union, they cared more about their headcount/dues than protecting the members they already had.

It's a shame...but it is all the members have left. There is no accountability or transpercy in our Local. Grievances haven't been settled in years.....think about it ...years. Chiefs Stewarts and Business Reps, who are provided Union paid for cars, are never seen.

Really need officials of the Union to be held accountable as the members are held responsible every day at work.

No Accountabilty, No Education and a "You are lucking to have a job" mentality needs to be thrown out. Whether it's CWA or IBEW 21 ---it's time to evolve .

Google CWA constitution and bylaws. Article V Section 4 (d) tells you how. That’s straight from the national site.

I was a steward for a bit. 3 yrs of my 40 years. I quit.

When I'd email the district, they'd call my local Prez and tell him to "control his members."

The Prez and VP and Chief steward are so deep s---ing up to the foremen, they don't really care.

We had to out of the garage by 8:15. They'd be sitting in the bosses office til 10. Laughing, going out to breakfast.

Union meetings were a joke. Bring an uncomfortable subject up and you'd get shut right down to move on to more important business, as to give $100 to the local food pantry.

"Motion carried."

They care about you as much as the company does. For profit.

Since Union members make up only 7% of the American workforce, I guess the other 93% are all "scabs" Even our Union Stewards left the CWA in disgust.

Fellow Brothers, your Union is fighting for your benefits and working hard on behalf of your families. So keep coming does union dues, don't worry. Don't listen to anyone but the Union, ok.

In Brotherhood,

CWA/IBEW

“Non Management are obligated to pay Union Dues but are not required to join or become a Member of the union.“ Absolutely not true in NC or any state in the SE. I guess the CWA goons will call me a scab for posting the truth. Disagree with a liberal and you get called names or worse. MAG$$

SCAB.....see him much non union cable tv workers make?....1/2 of what we make!

Back to the original question, the best thing to do is read your contract book to learn how to opt-out in your particular area. In the SE, we have a very small window around the contract anniversary((Aug 9) Forms must be sent to the CWA and HR and if they are not filled out 100% perfectly, your request will be rejected and you have to wait another year. Happened to 3 friends of mine. Why does the CWA make it so hard to resign? They want your hard earned $$$

I think seniority is b---s---. I’ve been here nearly 15 years and seen a lot of good hardworking techs let go, meanwhile I’m stuck with some sh--ters who could care less. Go out on jobs after people who constantly do sh-- work and have to make up narrative so I don’t throw them under the bus. And stuck with guys who abuse fmla and dB who f everybody else over every time the weather is a bit nasty. Some who only talk a big union game when it’s to their Benefit, but who are quiet when other people are sh-- on.

That being said although Union isn’t what it used to be it serves a purpose and I suppose it helps to know your not gonna get canned just because your capped out and have a pension piled up. Just wish the game noon would do more on their side to discourage some of these gear sh--ters and keep good hardworking guys working with us.

I like the post that says you give up your right to vote, what vote? Are you people serious, D3 wire techs were sc....Ed big time when union signed a contract for 4 years instead of 3 years to start with, everyone in my garage was in disbelief that it passed, then allowed company to increase health care cost and deductible to counter the pay increase and the best as we seen they allowed T to have a backdoor or a work around call it as you want to lay-off people not by seniority and gave STs and FTs rights to bump wire techs, make a guy who pay dues f...k another guy who pay dues how fair is that. knowing that no outside tech wanna do wire tech sh..ty job, they will just bump to resign few month later when they get a job somewhere else. If your state is a right to work state like mine you can opt out within 10 days before the contract anniversary, someone already explained the written letter process.

The post below describes it pretty well. I’m in the Southeast as well and I knew it was a short window around August, but didn’t realize how short it was and all that was involved. I never got out of the union but I know that many have talked about it.

hello dbag.you is to dum to be in a union.you must be a rummy..I tinks you temporal job is ova.

I am the OP. I live and work in Florida. Southeast Prem Tech. Just looking for the facts and information, not wanting to see people get blasted for asking and researching.

There’s a big difference between private sector unions and public unions. Take a look at your tax dollars at work :

https://transparentcalifornia.com/

It's funny people using terms like scab when there are just as many contract workers who are union as employees these days. They must be 22 and read in in a history book or something, oh so edgy.

you can't stop pYing union dues, back to work !!! to make america great again

Union is worthless.all the dues go for nice trips for high level union reps.in the corp buildings in dallas ,ask a union steward a question & always get same answer,I don't know...use the dues for something worthwhile.

I'm sorry but if you can't figure that out then you should not get out. This is from a non member. (I didn't abandon the union. They abandoned me.)

There's a very small time frame to get out: ONLY 10 days!!! That is a 10 day period preceding the anniversary of the contract.

All cards may only be

revoked during the 10 day period preceding the expiration date of

this Agreement and the same 10 day period each year during the

life of this Agreement.

A. Cancellations by employees of such written authorization for

payroll deductions must be in writing and the Company agrees

to notify the Union forthwith of the receipt of any such written

cancellations.

B. Such cancellation requests must be sent individually by

certified mail to the Payroll Office Manager with a copy to

the Union, postmarked during one of the 10 day periods

described in 25.01 above. The Company shall cease such

deductions the month after the receipt by the Company of the

certified notice.

Keep in mind that when opting out you forfeit your right to vote on contracts as well as union elections.

Also union is still required to represent you, but doesn’t have to fight real hard and can chose not to file grievances or flat out agree with disciplinary action.

You can also expect that your manager will not come close to doing anything for you that may be conceived as special treatment because the union can then go after the company and make sure that everybody gets that treatment.

Good luck

Depends on what state you live in.

Michigan, for example, is a right to work state so you can opt out of the union. Some right to work states have allowed unions to put roadblocks in place that only give you certain windows to opt out. Recently the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that Michiganders can opt out at anytime.

If you are e in a right to work state do some research and call your union hall to get the paperwork.

Unions are less than 7% of private sector workers now and the Supreme Court ruled they can't force their dues anymore in a variety of circumstances. Hillary told them to take a hike in 2016, and now only Trump of all people pays them lip service. They're getting increasingly desperate to maintain their shrinking and increasingly irrelevant fiefdoms, because companies just lay them off without consequence.

You could always be an E-Board member for local21, retire, and go to work for a non union shop?? They do it all the time!

@bum "To work for a non-union company. Maybe cable TV. I’m sure things will work out better for you there, scab." Love the loyalty to an organization that does absolutely nothing but take your money from you. Wake up mouth breather.

“Non Management are obligated to pay Union Dues but are not required to join or become a Member of the union.“

If you’re going to open your mouth at least say something factual.

This may be true in your state but isn’t true in others.

AT&T is a closed shop that has a n agreement to have all non Management employees be Union Members. Non Management are obligated to pay Union Dues but are not required to join or become a Member of the union. The Union is obliged to represent all Members and can file Grievances on behalf of any Non Member.

What’s wrong with people in these blogs, they doesn’t want to pay dues and your tear them apart?

It depends on your state, so in New York yoo have to pay dues but in Virginia you don’t. If you call the union they will be immature and call you names and your manager is not legally allowed to tell you.

https://employment.findlaw.com/wages-and-benefits/how-to-stop-paying-union-dues.html

Go to management, or get a job at McDonald’s.

It’d help to know what state you’re in.

To work for a non-union company. Maybe cable TV. I’m sure things will work out better for you there, scab.