Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Love being classed as a second-class employee from AT&T. As Wire Tech’s, no wonder we’ve had such bad treatment and hostility from our managers. What is the firing and attrition rate over the years? Something like 60%+? I remember my grandmother saying, she was considered second-class years ago and women couldn't vote up until late 1920.

“ So the union wanted new members that pay less dues. Make that make sense.”

Is it less dues, with forced OT? Dues are a percentage of your pay.

So I can see the Company hiring a group of technicians with less protections and pay, but tell the union that they will work you till you die on OT to make up those dues.

The company and the union win.

Collusion..

"I think the union wanted and encouraged the two tier structure back when the WT title was brought on."

So the union wanted new members that pay less dues. Make that make sense.

“I think the union wanted and encouraged the two tier structure back when the WT title was brought on. They didn’t want them included with their legacy titles. Maybe now they are starting to see their value with all of the legacy titles being eliminated or reduced. The union leadership only worries about keeping numbers up.”

That’s 1 of the biggest issues has been the U riding the fence on this: taking the PT/WT $ but only halfway representing them. The U shouldn’t have brought PT/WT into membership, they should’ve ve set back and watched T’s experiment fail all by itself. #1 You don’t bring in a lower wage member to do the work of a higher wage member: The work the PT/WT were given is what a higher wage Services Technician should’ve been doing. #2 If T was left to their own devices, the PT/WT plan would have collapsed on its own. T can’t keep PT/WT on the payroll very long now as is with the U’s half hearted interventions. All of that being said, the PT/WTs that remain, should be treated, valued, & represented equally as all other employees and members are.

Tick Tock! The clock struck twelve. Didn’t I warn you, D3 wouldn't mess around? How did I know? The company tried similar tactics last contract so, the union filed ULP not long after contract expiration in 2019 and went on strike. It was settled quickly once, the company flew in another team of negotiators with, the authority to make decisions. It was an admission that they were guilty of the complaint.

Here we are again, a pattern has emerged. Company leaders and the culture towards employees has only gotten worse so, why would the company negotiators be any different? According to the complaints filed with the NLRB, their behaviors are even worse this time but there is this thing called the law. Like it or not, a ruling will be issued forthwith and we will see how quickly this gets settled once, the company has to comply and stop violating the Wagner Act of 1935.

The Union wants the company to bargain in good faith, members are willing to return back to work once, the company gets serious, stops the games and bad behaviors. Disparaging a group of techs, reneging on agreements, bargaining in bad faith, etc. is not helpful or a productive way to reach a fair contact.

I think the union wanted and encouraged the two tier structure back when the WT title was brought on. They didn’t want them included with their legacy titles. Maybe now they are starting to see their value with all of the legacy titles being eliminated or reduced. The union leadership only worries about keeping numbers up.

Paraphrased, but fairly close

"There are two groups of students in this class, and the NLRA will touch each of your lives during the next forty years. Group One will attempt to twist the language to their liking. Group Two will use the language to protect themselves"

A few semesters later it occurred to me that he never did designate which group was employee/employer. Sneaky ba----d, that one.

Is the company still having waves of layoffs and relocating employees to hub locations? I left before end of 2021 on the promise of retiree healthcare, they reneged and now have sold off my pension to the Insurance company Athene. It doesn’t surprise me at all that, the union had to file a ULP

Wait, are you saying wire techs aren't second class? Wow.

Call the CWA district 3 office, they should be able to direct you to strike locations. Picket lines are everywhere, at most work centers and offices, 7AM-3/4PM. Thank you for the support!

Where are the picket lines forming in the Atlanta area. I would love to bring some refreshments to the strike force.

Referring to two different classes and specifically saying one is “second-class” also, infers the other is first class. That is much different than saying, a tiered system of different or varying skill levels; entry, mid, top/high. Ask any lawyer the difference in legal terms. There is a lot of spin going on here.

Now, resort to threatening lockout and 60 notices which is another hostile action but I guess you are only company spin doctors and not an authorized company spokesperson.

Ah the union slug appears again with its favorite word “ sycophant “, must have seen it in its Mom’s romance novel . Just say goodbye to your job security already union goof.

“A win-win. The unhappy employees would be freed up to do something they like better, and new hires would appreciate the good pay.”

Wow, good idea! There is one problem, they would have to fire”retire” everyone from the c-suite down. They won’t even release the most recent survey because, morale is low from so many things that, it would take several paragraphs to enumerate them all.

"send the 60 day notice"

A win-win. The unhappy employees would be freed up to do something they like better, and new hires would appreciate the good pay.

“AT&T needs to be done with this riff-raff. Lock 'em out, and send the 60 day notice.”

Now don”t get frustrated, you asked for an education on terms, you just got schooled.

“Sounds like the Union may be referring to the tiered structure, but out of proper context. It is difficult to negotiate with a deceptive party.”

I remember the days of a “tiered” society, where women and minorities were considered, second-class. You might want to rethink what you just said, as hard as you try spin, those words didn’t come out of the union negotiators mouth’s, they only documented it.

AT&T needs to be done with this riff-raff. Lock 'em out, and send the 60 day notice.

Human capital according to Merriam-Webster, can mean different things:

• human capital was also being used in a more impersonal and coldly euphemistic way to mean “labor force”:

He meets with emigrants or slave-traders moving on to Texas with their human capital, to turn them to greater account.
—Sharpe’s London Journal (London), July 1849

• Meanwhile, this use of the term, calculating casualties of war, is even colder:

According to recent calculations, the Franco-German war and the Commune cost the French treasury 14,638,098,814 francs—about $2,900,000,000. The sum of human capital destroyed has been calculated as follows by Colonel Pierron: Germany army—ki-led, 18,673; died of wounds, 11,516; died from sickness, 12,301; disappeared, 4,000; wounded who survived, 127,867.
—The Times (London), 18 September 1880

• In recent use, human capital continues to be used to mean something broader than simply “labor force” or “workforce”:

Indeed, it can be argued that the U.S. military is already withdrawing from its most significant social mission--that of forming human capital out of kids who otherwise would be a drag on society. "We're going to be smaller and better--we're going to pick and choose our people," says Rear Admiral James Lair, in a typical comment. "I don't have time to be a rehabilitation society. It used to be jail or the service. Now most of these kids are high school graduates.
—Thomas E. Ricks, The Atlantic, January 1993

Sycophant: A base parasite; a mean or servile flatterer; especially, a flatterer of princes and great men.

Here you go, company sycophants. Now go shine Capt. pajamas head and tell him how great has done with M&A. But you are right, it’s is an incorrect usage because it refers to butt kissers of “great men”. Doesn’t apply to any leaders here.

Sounds like the Union may be referring to the tiered structure, but out of proper context. It is difficult to negotiate with a deceptive party.

Most of you should lay off the doughnuts.

Employees are “human capital”. That’s not a disparaging comment. Take an accounting or economics class for god’s sake.

Union gaslighting is all it is man. I find it hilarious that the CWA leadership AND membership allowed this tiered wage and treatment structure with the Wire Tech title years ago, but now they seem so butt hurt and bent on getting them moved into the core agreement.

News flash….That was probably off the table on day one of negotiations. The company is not going to bend on the tiered structure period. They might shuffle some other stuff around to make the techs feel better, but WT’s are NOT getting into the core contract…Guaranteed.

Is there any proof, or at least evidence, of those words actually being said? Or is it something that the union "interpreted", if not made-up? Don't get me wrong, I'm not pro this company, they laid me off over a year ago, so I have no stakes, I just also find it hard to believe that a bunch of layers that participate in these negotiations would be so careless with their words.

I would gladly contribute funds for basic English courses for employees who are part of this forum. I shudder to imagine the horribly worded exchanges with our customers.

Please look up the word sycophant. Examine the definition and then try to use it correctly. Thanks.

According to many sycophants on here, getting a paycheck allows them to treat you anyway they like or say anything to you because, you signed away any freedoms or human rights while working for them. They want to control you at work and at home. Lords and Serfs…Robber Barons.

Let’s hear from the company sycophants on here, I’m sure they have an answer for all the “Union slugs” about company ULP tactics.