'Union do something for us or we do something for ourselves'?  Tacoguy1, you are the union, the union can't do anything if you don't something.  What have you done lately as a union member? gone to a meeting?, filed a grievance? put in a bargaining request/item? vote? do you know who your steward is?  If we go out on strike, are your prepared now for the long haul? Have you saved money, stocked up on non-perishables, done your preventative maintenance on your vehicles so you won't have any big expenses?

Does the company have a big conspiracy to get rid of all of us or just the ones who are close to retirement?  Have they made some pretty stupid decisions and statements? sure, but are we, are you doing everything you can to document your day showing that you've done all in compliance with all that they've asked, that you've asked how you can improve and there's no real response?  The beatings will continue until the morale/attitudes improve, that's the Qwest corporate motto these days.  This is not a union failure, this is the corporate officers' failure.  It only becomes our problem if we succumb to their stupidity and not show them their error of their ways. The union can only help those who help themselves because those people are the union.

Yes, i do attend meetings and yes, I have 3 grievances in the past 2 months, and 1 about 6 months ago that are being worked on,  YES I know my stewards, Yes I have been written up for dismissal and still on a written,  Yes I have documents from all my jobs back in the end of 06.  Yes I have built up my $$ since the start of 07 in case in 08 strike (and have been telling everyone to do the same) I am doing what I need to be, What would you like to tell my fellow crew member that has been here with 34 years never a written of any kind to be told you DONE (QJD).  My other crew member of 10years Done QJD, We all chipped in money for him to get by for a few month. He tryed to get meetings about QJD with the hire ups, messages left, never no call backs.  he had documents, he had pictures of bad plant, he kept a journel of everything. He did try no ones wanted to listen, Q or U. This all happen the past 6 months, The only thing documentation is going to do, When you hire a lawyer they have your history of your jobs .So to your question  YES  I AM INVOLVED

When you say 'done' do you mean 'terminated, fired'?  If that's what happened and they filed a grievance on that termination, on those QJD meetings they had before their terminations, then their grievances should still be pending or in arbitration?  Do you know the status?  Unfortunately, until the grievance/arbitration process is completed a lawsuit for wrongful termination can't proceed, because we have a contract and a grievance procedure.  When that process has concluded then the lawyers can help, but not until then.  Qwest isn't the only corporation/employer that is rushing for a bigger, better bottom line not caring at all about the human carnage they create in their push.  Employees were once considered an invaluable asset, not any longer.  As long as there are people out there who are in need of a job, the company feels they can do whatever they want to get what they want.  Sad thing is they'll never be satisfied and as a result, neither will their customers, who will leave them for then  next best provider of telecommunication services.  Grievances and arbitration cases are not 100 yd dash events, but marathons, not for the faint of heart.  It takes time, sometimes 2 yrs or more.  The company hopes to starve people out of the process, get you so frustrated you just quit fighting.  As a result, nothing ever changes.  To persist is to achieve.  I know, easier said than done.  We have to stick together, we need to keep our union as it's the only thing that offers any sort of protection, due process for us.  Can it be better, you betcha, but we are the ones who need to make it better, not kick it to curb because it doesn't meet your expectations today.  It's us.  We get out of it what we put into it.  Money, dues helps but it's the sweat equity, the hard work, the being there for one another and ourselves that makes it really work for everyone, in good times and bad.  How many QJD grievances have gone to arbitration so far?  What have been the rulings?  Too bad the district office doesn't post a scoreboard of how many grievances have been filed to date on QJD, what steps they're at, how many have made it to arbitration and how many have we won.  These grievances will be the basis for negotiations during the upcoming contract.  I don't know what the climate is at Verizon or AT&T, they may have similar problems.  It could be the industry or it could be this particular mindset of Qwest upper level mgt. 

 

Let's work on solidarity, not with finding fault, but bolstering each other up, reminding one another of what we need to do to survive, and then help each other do just that.  Get ready for August, be prepared for the worse and hope, work for the best.

 

The numbers are in...Qwest LOST 17% of their land line business from March of 2006 to March of 2008 while at the same time Management has decided to INCREASE the number of jobs for QJD. Who's running this show?

 

 

 

And this will be just one of the hammers that they use to pound the point in to our bargaining team that they can't afford our wages, our health care, our concession.  Instead of having a viable wireless component, (one that isn't a resale of someone else), fiber to the door to compete with the VOIP, a t.v. offering that isn't a resale of someone else's but actually is ours over our own facilities.... we don't have much of our own creation and hard work left to sell that can't be replaced by our many competitors.  Local dial tone and transport is it, and even that can be bought from someone else.  What we have or had that our competitors don't or didn't was a knowledgeable, dedicated, consistent workforce. Management has done their best from the top down to take away the reasons for customer and employee loyalty.  Your employees can only give or treat their customers in the same way or manner as they are treated.  Many years ago there was a bumper sticker that found it's way to many management vehicles that said "We don't care, we don't have to!"  At that time the phone company was a monopoly, the Bell System.  Folks didn't have a choice, and the corporation knew it.  They could deliver service when they could, according their matrix.  Techs were forced to walk away from jobs or work extremely long hours depending on the latest edict from the Utilities Commission and the next go around of price increases that needed their approval.  Today, the company has that same attitude when it comes to their employees.  They have reduced our numbers considerably due to market demand or lack of it.  They haven't kept up with offering their customers what they want, when they want it.  They have sold off properties left and right squeezing as much equity/cash out of the business not to run the business or re-invest but to pay for the perks at the top, and treat their employees as expenses rather than assets, items to be cut.  They have forgotten that you need to spend money to make more money.  That you have to give respect to get respect back and to provide it so it can be passed along to our customers.  Customers have choices and they're choosing not to go with Qwest for a variety of reasons, but Qwest employees, CWA members, the folks our customers talk to and see every day are the reasons they stay.  These are the people who work hard, find solutions and inspite of every rock the management team throws at us or puts in our road, we try to deliver that service that never, if rarely fails.  If we continue to not train or spread our folks so thin that they can't deliver or maintain our network, customers will continue to leave.  I was in Columbus, Ohio this past week and remembered the weeks of hands-on training I went through for various switching systems and peripherals at Dublin.  I remember the innovations and the new systems that were being rolled out and the training that was invested in to make sure that we had the knowledge required to do our jobs.  I don't believe that folks have quit dreaming and designing new methods of communication, but I do believe that our company has lost it's vision of a future communications company.  There is no way that you can continue to increase DSL subscriptions if landlines decrease in number.  You're going to reach a saturation point, as not all lines are conditioned or available for DSL. 

 

The future of this company isn't a bright one because those at the top have ran out of bright ideas or refuse to dust off the ones that have worked for over a century... By providing good service you make good money.  Loyal and contented employees=loyal and contented customers.  Training your employees is one of your best investments. 

 

We care because we want to, because we have to if we want to stay in business.  My question for those at the top: "Do you want to stay in this business or sell this business' assets off piece by piece?"

And what I cant figure out is why did Qwest stock go UP today when the overall market (and most of the other telecom stocks) went down. And the volume was up too.

 

I doubt its the due to Qwest starting to offer Verizon wireless (you can go to qwest.com now and check out the plans and phones.) Remember when US West wireless had over 100,00 subscribers?

 

And if you look at the history of it, Comcast was, at one time, part of US West. Why doesnt Qwest start buying small cable companies to start competing with Cox and Comcast?

 

It might be the Joe ruling, but would that explain 60+ million shares traded?

 

Something is up.

 

And you know what is driving the manager behavior, right? Their bonus!! They need to impress their boss to get a good appraisal to get their bonus. They dont care about taking care of customers or employees - just the bonus. It s a sick work environment. When will someone who can do something realize that for Qwest to compete, it needs a big time change in its culture. It cant be about numbers and lets make certain our employees have no fun. It needs to become a young hip vibrant company with enthusiastic employees who are treated with repsect and have some freedom and flexibility at work. Happy employees are going to work harder for you. Treat adults like children, and they will act like children. Treat them like adults and they will act like adults. Qwest is no longer the only company in town. Its time to loosen up the ties, and act like a company in the 21st century.

 

 

Stock prices traditionally go up when the obligations of a company go down.  So, if there's a VSPP offering, a lay off, a reduction in benefits or pay to all it's employees, the company's financial obligation goes down and it's value goes up.  I can remember when we had stock options and folks would get ecstatic when the price rose, but it happened every time a surplus was declared.  That stock increase was blood money.  Maybe those on Wall Street are reading the bargaining reports.  Who knows.  Maybe they've heard the same rumors that we have about a possible Verizon buyout.  Verizon stock is higher than Qwest's.  Verizon is also in contract negotiations on the East Coast.  I'd watch what their reports have to say. 

 

In my area, Comcast was never a part of Qwest, U S West or PNB.  Comcast has always been the cable company.  And unfortunately, Utilities Commissions have limited in the past the scope of the phone company's business ventures.  Comcast and Cox have gained entry into the telecommunications business where we have only added the option of reselling another company's product in our bundle.  I can remember when AirTouch was part of U S West, merged with Verizon, U S Wireless came into existance.  Sold our facilities to Verizon and we resell Sprint services.  All to avoid employee costs and network maintenance.

 

 

LOL Comcast goes by the name Comcast aka MediaOne. MediaOne was the cable part of US West that was split off and later bought by Comcast. (And I think Comcast also bough AT&T Cable too.)

 

All I know is that US West offered cable through Media One that was split off than sold.

 

 

PNB you always have so  much to say, but it typically has nothing to do with the subject which I believe was an impossible goal for DSL.  I do believe most of us are paying dues each month, so yes I also expect the union to do for me.  I pay them to sit in the hall every thursday so they don't have to work in the load, the least they can do is have their act together on QJD, and the other B.S. that is going on everyday.  I really expect alot more organization before the contract, but my President and V.P. of my local are out tonight working overtime for Qwest to help them get projects done before the contract is up, so that way Qwest isn't feeling pressure to settle for anything we deserve or need.   

I say this company and others will continue to do what they want and to treat you anyway they want until you elect a pro labor government.....

 

If we elect a "pro business" (read: republican) government then that government will do away with your union and your rights at work.

 

They are dying to kill off your union guys..... they hate your union and they hate anything that gives you more power or leverage at work......

 

They are not stupid..... the people with the most power get the most money.....

 

They are dying to give your job out to the sub contractors......

 

If you think things are bad now with dsl qjd's...... just wait......

 

If you feel that this poor company doesn't have enought of a hold over you then i'd say..... "yeah, give them more power and elect a pro business government"

Dear Ax,

Didn't realize I was replying to a DSL thread.  I'm sorry.  So, if your officers are representing your best interests, vote for someone else who will or you run.  I don't know why your officers are working overtime unless it was mandatory OT.  You'll have to ask them.  And if you read the post, CWA is pretty much hogtied when it comes to mobilization activities prior to the contract expiration, thank you courts and Qwest.  We get the leadership we vote for. 

ax2grnd,

 

sorry for the long reply..... but here it goes....

 

the way it works is this way....

 

the money you give is just part of the help. 

 

a small part..... a very small part.....

 

showing and keeping the strength is what really is what gets the union work done.

 

you can have all the money in the world but if you don't stand tough against the bosses and hold the line..... you will get beat....

 

it is just that simple.

 

the bosses gauge you and your co-workers every damn day.....

 

they look for ways to break you and you better belive that they hire professional companies that know how to coach the bosses on how to do that....

 

qjd is one of the methods that those companies recommend to break your workers and the union....  bringing in unfair bosses who play favorites is another..... (good cop/bad cop)

 

after they beat you up with qjd and bad bosses then they bring in the good cop and boom.... you guys will fall to you knees, just to be soooooo happy that you got a good boss that you will begin to "perform".....

 

haven't you noticed.... sometimes qjd applies and then all of a sudden qjd is kinda forgotten about...... good cop..... bad cop.....

 

haven't you noticed..... these are not isolated instances.... this is happening company wide. you are seeing a coordinated effort.  that is what those companies do.  they know how to play you!

 

so what do they want?

 

easy..... get rid or weaken the union and break or bend you.....

 

unfortunantly these companies and their ways are a multi-edged sword....

 

when a crew gets angry they backup on their haunches and find way to "get back" at the company..... after all anybody who feels that the company is trying to steal food out of their family's mouths has a tendency to fight back in anyway they can.....

 

so everybody gets hurt and the company goes into a "death spiral"....

 

all because the company just can't figure out how to work with their people.....

 

oh well, all you can do is....

 

suck it up.... stand tough.... learn what is going on... understand what is going on.