Comments on: at&t http://www.popcornfarmer.com/2008/11/att/ an unlikely place for a CS grad student. Mon, 26 Jul 2010 09:23:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: twood http://www.popcornfarmer.com/2008/11/att/comment-page-1/#comment-129 twood Tue, 07 Apr 2009 13:32:00 +0000 http://www.popcornfarmer.com/?p=166#comment-129 <b>Scab workers do not necessarily need to be union members -- anyone who goes to work to replace union workers while they are on strike can be considered a scab. There is no doubt that at&t is training the managers in part to use them as leverage against the union. That said, the point of my post was to be a humorous view on what is clearly a rather ridiculous situation. If each side did not need to spend so much effort posturing, and instead could just sit down and reasonably discuss their demands, I think the situation could be resolved much more efficiently. Also, I should make it clear that I'm not really criticizing at&t in particular here -- the issues I raise are common across most large corporations, and I had a great time during my job at at&t (and I wasn't <i>that lousy</i> an employee ;p ). I just find it pretty funny that they wanted to train someone doing a two month long internship in new jersey to become an air pressure technician out in texas, in case a strike occurred four months after his job ended!</b> Scab workers do not necessarily need to be union members — anyone who goes to work to replace union workers while they are on strike can be considered a scab. There is no doubt that at&t is training the managers in part to use them as leverage against the union.

That said, the point of my post was to be a humorous view on what is clearly a rather ridiculous situation. If each side did not need to spend so much effort posturing, and instead could just sit down and reasonably discuss their demands, I think the situation could be resolved much more efficiently.

Also, I should make it clear that I’m not really criticizing at&t in particular here — the issues I raise are common across most large corporations, and I had a great time during my job at at&t (and I wasn’t that lousy an employee ;p ). I just find it pretty funny that they wanted to train someone doing a two month long internship in new jersey to become an air pressure technician out in texas, in case a strike occurred four months after his job ended!

]]> By: Sharon http://www.popcornfarmer.com/2008/11/att/comment-page-1/#comment-128 Sharon Tue, 07 Apr 2009 05:07:22 +0000 http://www.popcornfarmer.com/?p=166#comment-128 First of all, managers are not the scabs. Scabs are union employees crossing their own picket lines to work anyway. Managers are in training only if a work stoppage occurs, not that their jobs are not important. Union employees perform a large part of AT&T's daily duties. And AT&T does not dig ditches to your house. This work is contracted to outside construction companies. There is a huge number of technical and labor intensive jobs that will need to be performed should the contract not be settled in a timely manner. At this time, union employees are still working and negotiations are still on. Thank goodness you were gone in December. You seem to be a lousy employee. First of all, managers are not the scabs. Scabs are union employees crossing their own picket lines to work anyway. Managers are in training only if a work stoppage occurs, not that their jobs are not important. Union employees perform a large part of AT&T’s daily duties. And AT&T does not dig ditches to your house. This work is contracted to outside construction companies. There is a huge number of technical and labor intensive jobs that will need to be performed should the contract not be settled in a timely manner. At this time, union employees are still working and negotiations are still on. Thank goodness you were gone in December. You seem to be a lousy employee.

]]> By: twood http://www.popcornfarmer.com/2008/11/att/comment-page-1/#comment-101 twood Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:30:31 +0000 http://www.popcornfarmer.com/?p=166#comment-101 yeah... it's pretty ridiculous yeah… it’s pretty ridiculous

]]> By: Megan http://www.popcornfarmer.com/2008/11/att/comment-page-1/#comment-100 Megan Sun, 23 Nov 2008 17:50:24 +0000 http://www.popcornfarmer.com/?p=166#comment-100 Ironically, if they put all that money they are using for training toward something the union workers want/need, it would probably be a better use of it. Ironically, if they put all that money they are using for training toward something the union workers want/need, it would probably be a better use of it.

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