Looks like this is the last of the core I and r and construction technicians that we will ever have!
We have been told in South Texas that if they hire anyone to keep up with all the work it will always be temps no more bargained for permanent positions!
Our I and R crews here lost about 20 some in 2020 when all the buy outs happened and no one was replaced since!
We have heard rumors that I and r has no work so to expect lots of head reduction there, sad thing is we have no where to transfer to around here except to be a premise technician if that's even possible!
Has anyone here heard of a I and R tech actually bumping a premise tech for a job!?
Anyone from any district?
28 replies (most recent on top)
If the West waits, they can combine with the SE on strike, near end of year 2024. The company wants to settle quickly, they need to keep Wall ST & the investors happy with Free Cash Flow, a strike would cause an adjustment totheir projections.
Management for the most part can’t do the job and don’t want to. In my years at this company in the different departments I have had 4 managers that knew the job and one that didn’t but was smart enough to listen to us and learned enough to not sound d-mb on calls and to do what we told them so we can get service repaired. The rest were roadblocks in the way of progress.
A strike at this time would not be a good idea unless you have a lot of major storms and outages everywhere. Otherwise there isn’t enough leverage of withholding work. Especially where there isn’t much work to be done. The time will come but in some areas now isn’t the best time. In my area the lowest senior people are from 2000. We have a group with 30 people in my title, the. A huge chunk of people coming up on 28 years, and a smaller group getting 26. A lot of them will have their 75 and may take a buy out. Once headcount drops work starts backing up then you’ll have leverage again. I have 5 more years until I get my 75 and will be 50 years old. One more year I get 30. I’ll see which way the wind is blowing and possibly start career number 2. I hope the pendulum swings back the other way and it gets better.
“Some folks don’t seem to understand that when the contract expires there are no rules anymore. Unless the company & the U agree to work under an extension of the previous just expired agreement, there are no rules.
We've always "worked to rule" under an extension of the contract during negotiations. No extension means we walk. Period.
You’re free to walk out and strike when the contract expires. You won’t be coming back, but you’re free to do it. Bet.
You have no clue what you're talking about. Once a new contract is ratified we come back to work. That's how labor laws work.”
You may want to study up on labor laws concerning impasse & lockouts.
Time for the West to grow a set and use leverage.
West needs to wait for next winter and then strike. Let the contingency workers go into the rain and snow.
It’s great for the company to extend the contract, they get to defer wage increases and any other added expenses or benefits. Not so great for union members, inflation, healthcare cost and small raises has eroded employee’s standard of living. Retirement match is terrible for anyone hired after 1999.
If the company won’t bargain in good faith then the union needs to use its leverage and strike. Contract will get settled quickly, it’s what happened in the SE core in 2019. Time for the West to grow a set and use leverage.
Some techs like in SW are already working on an extension. There was no ratification of a new contract.
We went a year without a contract in the West during one of the prior two contract negotiations. The rules under the expired contract were in effect.
“ We've always "worked to rule" under an extension of the contract during negotiations. No extension means we walk. Period.”
Some techs like in SW are already working on an extension. There was no ratification of a new contract.
They can keep on doing term hiring as long as they want, for example they can hire techs for two years term and as long as they don’t offer them perm jobs at the end they are not violating the contract. If after the stated term they tried to make them perm they would have to open the job to permanent qualified workers first but nothing is stopping them from hiring new terms over and over
Some folks don’t seem to understand that when the contract expires there are no rules anymore. Unless the company & the U agree to work under an extension of the previous just expired agreement, there are no rules.
We've always "worked to rule" under an extension of the contract during negotiations. No extension means we walk. Period.
You’re free to walk out and strike when the contract expires. You won’t be coming back, but you’re free to do it. Bet.
You have no clue what you're talking about. Once a new contract is ratified we come back to work. That's how labor laws work.
Bring it on, please terminate my position with a layoff notice, I welcome it! I'd love the opportunity to leave this company with some dignity, just bring it on!
All I can say is get ready contingency force, do you think leadership will be reasonable? Do they want a piece of BEAD money or any other govt. contract, then better bargain in good faith!
Some folks don’t seem to understand that when the contract expires there are no rules anymore. Unless the company & the U agree to work under an extension of the previous just expired agreement, there are no rules. Then the “they can’t do that” claims become null.
You’re free to walk out and strike when the contract expires. You won’t be coming back, but you’re free to do it. Bet.
“OP is absolutely correct. The soon to be expiring MOA was the ONLY thing keeping techs off surplus. The company has struggled to keep the current headcount busy. 2024 will be devastating for many tech titles and depending on your current contract expirations districts will be hit at different times.
The success of UAW and UPS negotiations have caused the company to consider a different plan of action. IF/When the union decides it will walk off the job, AT&T will back fill with current salary management employees and vendors as needed. They will not reach an agreement with the union, essentially starving out the work force.
You will be forced to choose between walking the picket line and going hungry or looking for a new job.
No severance, no buyout.”
Louder for those in the back!!
Strike! Ready for about 2 months off, have saved for 4 months if needed
Same here. Completely debt free and can go out for months. Time for a serious strike.
Sure
Strike
Management can handle it
Right up until there is a major outage
Love the optimism of company trolls thinking skilled union employees aren’t needed and are easily replaced by someone off the street. Dream on my young padawan and I hope you have trained for your contingency position, after that you won’t be needed. I’ve heard your same refrain for over 40 years when the contract is about to expire. If the company wants to play the game of temp/term then we won’t train or assist them until they decide to make them permanent like the contract stipulates.
It isn’t the first time of transition to new transportation system, facilities or technology. Have you ever heard of operators, coin collectors, pay phones, pagers, bag phones, dial-up modems, analog, isdn, party lines, iron wire, telegraph, tele-type, frame attendants, splicer helpers, switchman, multimedia techs and the list goes on. Technology does displace the amount of employees needed across the whole company, management and craft alike as it matures, nothing new.
West Core technician backfills the past year have been permanent company employees.
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Don’t believe that total sunsetting of copper is a feasible goal for anyone. However there are some pretty good expense savings when deployed. Spoke with one of the fiber guys awhile ago. Their charge was to get as much fiber placed as possible not to capture or investigate incidental savings. Remember a few years ago when groups like AP was still getting alarms for cable that had been abandoned due to the cockamamie process for taking those cables off their system. Wonder if anyone is investigating or addressing those potential savings.
The vast majority of fiber installations over the next 5 years will be contracted. The union contracts will be whittled away to basically no protection, this is by design.
Everyone forgets, only about 30% fiber coverage, long ways to go before saturation and total sunsetting of copper. Govt. still wants copper, we are still installing new service.
Going to be interesting to see what type of job security can be negotiated. This fiber push is going to eliminate a lot of outside work. I was around for the Uverse rollout and the places they put the fiber lost a lot of work.
Continual temp/term is a breach of contract. File grievances, it’s in the articles that they should become permanent after time. Need to shore job security in upcoming contract. Issue is some complain but never exercise their rights, file.
Strike! Ready for about 2 months off, have saved for 4 months if needed, would be nice and eye opener for management. Did it in 2019, too short, only 4 days, ready for 2024. COLA, work division, healthcare, wages, job security, 401k match increases are all negotiation issues.
Who gives a sh-t.
OP is absolutely correct. The soon to be expiring MOA was the ONLY thing keeping techs off surplus. The company has struggled to keep the current headcount busy. 2024 will be devastating for many tech titles and depending on your current contract expirations districts will be hit at different times.
The success of UAW and UPS negotiations have caused the company to consider a different plan of action. IF/When the union decides it will walk off the job, AT&T will back fill with current salary management employees and vendors as needed. They will not reach an agreement with the union, essentially starving out the work force.
You will be forced to choose between walking the picket line and going hungry or looking for a new job.
No severance, no buyout.
My understanding was you can only bump a junior technician if he has same title as you and you haven't been offered a job anywhere else in the company!
Makes since Core I&R will be on the downside with the exception of Special Services.