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EmptyTimCup
Guest
this should be good ........ I got my FiOS installed right before the strike
this should be good ........ I got my FiOS installed right before the strike
ylexot
Super Genius
Verizon is not looking to eliminate wireline, but they do not need the staff that they have. Should they pay 1000 people to sit around with their thumbs up their asses just because they need 100 to do actual work?
BTW, your analogy is horrible. It makes no sense whatsoever.
ItalianScallion
Harley Rider
I retired from there in 2002 and the company I left wasn't even close to the company it was 15 years ago. It got waayyy worse! Verizon is a corporate demon. When times were good, we (Our Union) "bargained" for a lot of things and got them. Verizon today claims that they need to take ALL of those benefits away "to remain competitive". 
Does this look like they're not competitive?
"...Verizon, as a whole, is highly profitable. In the second quarter, Verizon reported net income of $3.6 billion, and the company reported its strongest year-over-year revenue growth in 10 quarters. Verizon added 2.2 million mobile customers during the quarter, and mobile revenue was $17.3 billion, up 10.2% from a year earlier. The unions noted that Verizon Wireless paid out $10 billion to Verizon and Vodafone in January. Verizon's top five executives received $258 million in compensation over the past four years, the unions said".
"If we take Verizon's side, they're seeing business in terminal decline," said telecom analyst Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analytics. "On the other hand, you have employees who want to feed a family. They are used to certain rights, certain expectations and a standard of living."
In the past 10 years, Verizon offered early buyouts to many employees. A few times, a few took it but one time, many wanted to take it and Verizon had to back peddle and limit how many could leave. IF they were a good company, they would offer it again before they try to take benefits away from those whose buyouts they rescinded.
Does this look like they're not competitive? "...Verizon, as a whole, is highly profitable. In the second quarter, Verizon reported net income of $3.6 billion, and the company reported its strongest year-over-year revenue growth in 10 quarters. Verizon added 2.2 million mobile customers during the quarter, and mobile revenue was $17.3 billion, up 10.2% from a year earlier. The unions noted that Verizon Wireless paid out $10 billion to Verizon and Vodafone in January. Verizon's top five executives received $258 million in compensation over the past four years, the unions said".
"If we take Verizon's side, they're seeing business in terminal decline," said telecom analyst Roger Entner, founder of Recon Analytics. "On the other hand, you have employees who want to feed a family. They are used to certain rights, certain expectations and a standard of living."
In the past 10 years, Verizon offered early buyouts to many employees. A few times, a few took it but one time, many wanted to take it and Verizon had to back peddle and limit how many could leave. IF they were a good company, they would offer it again before they try to take benefits away from those whose buyouts they rescinded.
dave1959
Active Member
Sorry but I don't have any sympathy for someone in a union that goes on strike.
If you don't like the working conditions(pay, benefits ect..) then just go get another job.
You can't ??? Then STFU and get back to work...Because ther are a 1000 other people that would take that job for less.
If you don't like the working conditions(pay, benefits ect..) then just go get another job.
You can't ??? Then STFU and get back to work...Because ther are a 1000 other people that would take that job for less.
ylexot
Super Genius
Ok, maybe they do need more. I really don't know. But the reality is that it is up to Verizon to make that call. If it costs them more and they are stupid to cut people, it will hurt them. They are just as free to make bad decisions as they are to make good decisions.
It's not over my head. It is just completely irrelevant. :shrug: The issue is cutting staff that Verizon says they don't need. Those people being cut are complaining and saying that Verizon should pay them even if they don't need them because Verizon makes enough money to pay for them and they want jobs.
gemma_rae
Well-Known Member
You have to be a Verizon wireline employee to understand this.To add to what MarylandMark has articulated so well already. Comparing my current duties to my duties circa 2004, I am now doing the work of 15 people. If Verizon doesn't need my experience and expertise then I will seek employment elsewhere and earn my fair market value.
Hey Mark, got room on that boat for one more?
Union Shmunion.
gemma_rae
Well-Known Member
Pure propaganda to distract the public from the fact that management cannot, and never will be able to, perform the work of "associates". (Verizonspeak for productive employees)
Verizon must have farted because I just smelled an Azzhole.
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EmptyTimCup
Guest
I don't care much for the Unions ..
.... I long for the good old days of AT&T ..
.... and Western Electric Phones ....
.....from what I have been told there was always someone in CO to help out ...... now I watch the techs have to run back and forth between my site and Church Rd CO , just to jump to a new pair ..... we have a 200 pair feed from the Church Rd. been laying in a swamp for 30 yrs since it was put in, in the 80's and MNCPP makes it near impossible to do anything along 214 .... like replace cabling .....
..... yeah sure maybe innovation grew from the break up .... but the LD paid for the Local Calling ... IIRC
I have met several Cable Techs that work the Bowie Area Tina .... dont know if Tina reads SOMD, but she lives in St Mary's IIRC ....
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what really annoys me is the whining by union spokes mouths about how much compensation the Top Execs made .... like they deserve more because an Senior Exec got paid $$$
...... exec. salaries are decided by employment agreements (like your contracts) .... and usually get approve through the board and Stock holders to vote on .....
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Tony told me when the strike was over, Verizon would be hiring 30,000 more FiOS Techs @ 35 bucks an hour ........ hmmm If I did not despise UNIONS so much
.... I long for the good old days of AT&T ..
.... and Western Electric Phones ....
.....from what I have been told there was always someone in CO to help out ...... now I watch the techs have to run back and forth between my site and Church Rd CO , just to jump to a new pair ..... we have a 200 pair feed from the Church Rd. been laying in a swamp for 30 yrs since it was put in, in the 80's and MNCPP makes it near impossible to do anything along 214 .... like replace cabling .....
..... yeah sure maybe innovation grew from the break up .... but the LD paid for the Local Calling ... IIRC
I have met several Cable Techs that work the Bowie Area
Tina .... dont know if Tina reads SOMD, but she lives in St Mary's IIRC .... ----------------------------------------------------------
what really annoys me is the whining by union spokes mouths about how much compensation the Top Execs made .... like they deserve more because an Senior Exec got paid $$$
...... exec. salaries are decided by employment agreements (like your contracts) .... and usually get approve through the board and Stock holders to vote on .....
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Tony told me when the strike was over, Verizon would be hiring 30,000 more FiOS Techs @ 35 bucks an hour ........ hmmm If I did not despise UNIONS so much
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EmptyTimCup
Guest
yeah because union members on Strike have never threatened anyone or damaged equipment .....
ItalianScallion
Harley Rider
Most of those 1000 would cause further downfall of the middle class. You seem to only look at the bad side of Unions but ending Unions would allow employers to do whatever they want. Do you know where many of the benefits like paid vacation, overtime, paid holidays, fair pay & the 40 hour work week came from? Do you know about the extensive training that the Unions demanded so that we could do quality, safe work?
I got FULL retirement after 30 years which allowed me to retire when I was 48. I have 2 entire walls full of awards and certificates because I was trained very well and I (and the company) cared very much about the quality of my work. How many service technicians today making $8 an hour do high quality work? I know Unions have changed but they still strive to prevent management abuse of the workers. A happy employee is a productive employee.
I remember it well! We were still very Unionized back then when everything worked soo nicely, though.
Actually most of us have no problem with their salaries. What we have a problem with is them saying how poor their company is and how they need to remain competitive by taking back benefits from the people who make the money for them. Then the ignorant public believes them IN SPITE OF what the actual figures show.EmptyTimCup said:
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EmptyTimCup
Guest
I get that, take it up with the stock holders ........ they are the ones usually voting on executive compensation packages - via the board
and maybe a strike is the way to do that ....... I dunno, I don't care for Unions and all the class warfare bull####
ItalianScallion
Harley Rider
I don't think anyone likes it but it's the nature of the beast. I lived through 30 years of possible walkouts and, all I can say is, I'm glad we had a Union or I'd have had much less than I have today.
The only "tie" I have to Verizon is my medical benefits. Now they're trying to take them away and I'm truly concerned about what I'll have to do in the future if they succeed...
ItalianScallion
Harley Rider
Do you work for Verizon?
dave1959
Active Member
I don't believe they are taking anything "away".. My understanding is that they are asking you to pay a small amout for something you have been getting for FREE. I dont think that is unreasonable.
Everything changes as time goes on. The contract that was written 10-20-30years ago does not fly in todays ecomomy and needs to change.
ItalianScallion
Harley Rider
So the more years a person accumulates, the more of his/her benefits the company should take away?
Verizon wants to take away some of their paid holidays. They now get 9 and they want to only give them 5.
They want to take away the FMLA days that were bargained for a few years back.
There are some other things they want to take back but I'm still reading the bargaining reports. If you're interested:
Bargaining Page
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dave1959
Active Member
Mark,
We are going to have to agree to disagree...I am anti union and nothing you can say will change that. Unions had a purpose in this country but that has gone away. The only thing unions are fighting for now is their own survival.
My opinion is the same, If you are unhappy with the way your employer is treating you...Go find another job. After all is said and done if you take away everything that verizon is proposing you will still have better wages and benifits that the non-union worker. As far as CEO's salery..He's a CEO, His job pays a lot. My owner makes alot more than I do but so what , He's an owner not an average worker. If you don't like his pay then go take his job and pay yourself less.
IMHO
We are going to have to agree to disagree...I am anti union and nothing you can say will change that. Unions had a purpose in this country but that has gone away. The only thing unions are fighting for now is their own survival.
My opinion is the same, If you are unhappy with the way your employer is treating you...Go find another job. After all is said and done if you take away everything that verizon is proposing you will still have better wages and benifits that the non-union worker. As far as CEO's salery..He's a CEO, His job pays a lot. My owner makes alot more than I do but so what , He's an owner not an average worker. If you don't like his pay then go take his job and pay yourself less.
IMHO
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EmptyTimCup
Guest
that is a ####ty way to run a service company ..... but that is Corp America for you ........
Ikon Office Solutions, back in the early 1990's acquired a local copier sales / repair company as a way to 'break' into the DC Area Market
I worked in the 'parts' division, delivering parts to storage units around the DC area, so Techs did not have to drive all the way back to Fort Washington
(the job was 1/4 mile from my house
) ... anyway I came along 6 months after the acquisition .... being in the parts dept, I dealt with the techs all day, and none of the 'people' upstairs
... I started hearing grumblings from the long time techs that head been around since the old company was founded out of some guys garage - they techs were being pushed to increase their numbers, the people in the call center, were also being pushed to increase call volume, sell, sell, sell
... techs were no longer doing 'PM's' those cost money, left copiers run until they break
... after all to make the sale, reps were having to throw in 'free' maintenance contracts ... so screw the PM's ... the most knowledgeable guys - read getting paid the most - were getting pushed out - read let go - because their numbers were not good enough, and guys hired @ 1/2 the price that did not have the yrs experience in troubleshooting problems were the new game in town ... of course they started bleeding customers, and gee could not figure out why, customers were not buying / leasing new equipment when the contract was up ...
....they moved from the modest 3 story office building in my neighborhood, to the swanky Mark Center off of 395, and moved the copier warehouse / parts center to Lottsford Rd in Landover
the Corp Cannon (they started pushing Cannon over the old Sharp / Richo products) coming out part was a great thing - I arrived late, so I was standing in the back by the door, I ducked out and grabbed a beer before we have been 'release' from the presentations - causing a cascade of guys from 'down stairs' read the more blue collar types - to slip out and grab a beer as well (yes I was always a trouble maker) - until some drone scolded us for leaving and getting into the beer before the meeting was over ......
by the end of the night we were in 2 separate camps - the 'down stairs' guys outside drinking and smoking - and the suits inside
needless to say I did not last 9 months and was fired on a technicality I just did not fit in with the Fortune 500 mentality
yeah a hell of a way to run a service company
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