Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

Craft titles being eliminated?

Is there any truth to what I’m hearing about craft titles being eliminated within the next year or two? While we are out here on the line the company is supposedly gathering data on which jobs are being efficiently handled by the contractors. Today I heard a rumor that the company is looking at eliminating the ST title, and possibly the OPT title, getting rid of WS31 altogether. The wire techs would assume the ST duties, while cable repair would continue to function the way it always has. In Construction, the FTs will handle the splicing and the OPT work will go to contractors. I’ve heard they could be changing the job description for FT titles to remove the placing of facilities to get around article 14. Could there be any truth to this? I’ve got 16 years and I’ve had a bid in for FT for the last year or so, but I keep getting beat out. Can they even do something like this to us?

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Post ID: @OP+1ulUMcvr

15 replies (most recent on top)

No way to know for sure. CWA isn’t giving any details on why we aren’t working so..

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Post ID: @1exy+1ulUMcvr
The company is brining in contractors and getting ready to lock out folks by the end of next week.

Nice! Lockout = unemployment checks!

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Post ID: @1kij+1ulUMcvr

“I love how everything posted that a certain group doesn’t agree with are company trolls. Is everything Trump says is false fake news?
In most of the rest of the company, pole placement and replacement, buried loop placement, new fiber and cable pulls, co equipment installs, has been outsourced. Verizon, Comcast, Frontier, and others have done the same.
You can stick your head up your butt and say it isn’t happening, but it is and it will continue. It’s the future due to lower skilled labor being easily able to do it. It’s the 30 dollar / three dollar lug nut theory from car plants. If you’re making $30 to do something to do something someone else will do for $3 with minimal training, you’re marked.
It’s called capitalism, and if you vote red, or “free market”, you’re not helping yourself.”

In the last 30 years we’ve had 5 terms of Blue POTUS & 3 terms of Red POTUS. Within those terms were various times when Blue & Red each had full control of the House & Senate as well.
During that 30 years, we’ve had pay raises(how good is debatable) but outside of that, for most everything else important we’ve gone backwards. Healthcare, savings plans, contracting out of work, offshoring, downsizing, layoffs, etc, we moved backwards on all of these, and it’s not just us. Could it be, that it really doesn’t matter who is in charge of our country? We know the companies don’t care, but if you think anybody in Washington DC does you’re sadly mistaken.

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Post ID: @1aho+1ulUMcvr

The brining salts and tenderizes. Some of those contactors need a good brining. Trap em and brine em is what I always say.

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Post ID: @1vcr+1ulUMcvr

“The company is brining in contractors and getting ready to lock out folks by the end of next week. Article 14 is on the chopping block. You’re going to get your reduced healthcare but it will come at the cost of a lot of folks jobs through layoffs of terms and no backfills. Work will be done by Contractors. Time studies are being done now by management as observers. Call this a troll comment all you want, you will see later.”

Workers can’t be locked out on a ULP strike.

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Post ID: @1sgv+1ulUMcvr

Ohhh nooo, not THAT! Anything but THAT!
Stop it or I'll have to go back to work for a successful business!

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Post ID: @1aev+1ulUMcvr

The union will get you the most “lucrative” contract, but at what cost will it come in at?

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Post ID: @1ecd+1ulUMcvr

The company is brining in contractors and getting ready to lock out folks by the end of next week. Article 14 is on the chopping block. You’re going to get your reduced healthcare but it will come at the cost of a lot of folks jobs through layoffs of terms and no backfills. Work will be done by Contractors. Time studies are being done now by management as observers. Call this a troll comment all you want, you will see later.

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Post ID: @1ila+1ulUMcvr

I'm telling you, we are going to be like Spectrum and Charter.
Now I know that you are so good, so skilled, so unique that it ain't gonna happen to you, but that's where your heading.
Your world delivered, but it'll be a day late and a dollar short.

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Post ID: @1lso+1ulUMcvr

I just want my Football back and my grandchildren want Disney. My 5 yr old grandchild wants to know why some body named T ki-led Elsa.

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Post ID: @1ykw+1ulUMcvr

I love how everything posted that a certain group doesn’t agree with are company trolls. Is everything Trump says is false fake news?

In most of the rest of the company, pole placement and replacement, buried loop placement, new fiber and cable pulls, co equipment installs, has been outsourced. Verizon, Comcast, Frontier, and others have done the same.

You can stick your head up your butt and say it isn’t happening, but it is and it will continue. It’s the future due to lower skilled labor being easily able to do it. Its the 30 dollar / three dollar lug nut theory from car plants. If you’re making $30 to do something to do something someone else will do for $3 with minimal training, you’re marked.

It’s called capitalism, and if you vote red, or “free market”, you’re not helping yourself.

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Post ID: @1ddp+1ulUMcvr

AT&T (SBC) did a bit of that back in the 90’s in TX / SBC territory. They have been trying to do that in the SE for a number of years too but the Union has been able to keep Article 14 in tact.
That said, in TX, it was my understanding that they phased out OPTs through attrition. However, I am not confident that today’s AT&T would be as “kind”

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Post ID: @1fms+1ulUMcvr

I’m just worried about my future after hearing this, so I’m asking if it’s just rumor or if the company could actually do that. Ripple is hiring construction techs not far from me, and if my job here could be given to contractors I’m wondering if I should look into trying to get on with a different company while I have the chance. After hearing about what happened to UPS I’m afraid if we get our contract AT&T might try to do something similar.

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Post ID: @cof+1ulUMcvr

Ask your union about how many people are in each title in your contract book. Then find out which ones have been surplussed out over that contract.

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Post ID: @iuf+1ulUMcvr

Company troll, every hear of article 14 in the SE. go fishing somewhere else. How about the CEO’s massive compensation packages? if you are so interested in the outrageous.

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Post ID: @qws+1ulUMcvr

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