T keeps whittling down on I and R techs it looks like they want to basically make prem techs become the new I and R at lower pay and no pension!
Southwest area here we have lost 20 plus I and R guys in the last 2 years and none have been replaced!
Now they have just mixed all the crews with each one being prem techs and a few I and R guys in same crew!
Per our union leadership the company had agreed to no layoffs till 2024 anyone else have this information in their area or something different going in other parts?
26 replies (most recent on top)
"There are actually people who ask this question???"
Keep in mind that 1/2 the country lives in Verizon territory.
AT&T is not the legacy landline carrier in 50 States. So yeah, there is
No need for any installation or repair around here.
Do they repair iPhones? good luck with that.
911 techs are making $$$bank$$$ on overtime because there just isn't enough of them to do the installations and support.
What’s a I/R and prem tech?
mobility
There are actually people who ask this question??? Wow, AT&T has a lot of cleaning up to do. That is concerning.
They are the employees that physically connect our customers to EVERYTHING WE PHUCKING SELL! Every dollar that AT&T receives is because of a physical electronic or fiber connection to this weird or mysterious thing called a "customer"
That’s because there are so few 911 techs, something like 6 techs for all of Metro Atlanta, I’m sure it’s the same every else too.
ABFS special service techs already do prem tech work in the SE, 911 techs haven’t had to yet.
Installation and repair, customer facing employees.
What is I and R, and why should anybody care?
"I&R "manager" If you step one foot in the door of a Central Office, like some of your buddies have tried, I will show you the parking lot post haste. I've done it before, will continue to do so. Still here and haven't been fired. "
suuuuuuuuuure pal. LMAO
I doubt I will ever get the chance. The AT&T broom is coming to sweep you to the curb much sooner than later. When I escort them out, they always say "WHO IS YOUR MANAGER??!!". "Like they are going to do something". I tell them, and I never see them again. I will repeat this behavior until I retire because I find it fun. The number of first line I&R and Prem tech "Managers" I have seen leave the company involuntarily is somewhat spectacular. Well, it is what is, right? Sorry amigo.
"I&R "manager" If you step one foot in the door of a Central Office, like some of your buddies have tried, I will show you the parking lot post haste. I've done it before, will continue to do so. Still here and haven't been fired. "
suuuuuuuuuure pal. LMAO
cwa did not bargain for us to get newer technology jobs. why we are getting phased out.
The Prem tech job is a sh+t job. I don’t know why anyone would want to do that job. Better opportunities elsewhere.
They can’t keep Prem techs in my area, they all end up taking jobs with other telcos that had a fiber build out. The pay and hours are better. The last set of Prem techs lasted 6 months and they found different jobs. It’s amusing to watch.
How did ABFS techs get dragged into this lol. Leave us out of it 🤣
The prem tech manager will be working late every night assisting the prem techs to complete work . They will learn how to splice and remove bridge tap, many late nights or they move on to the next manager and you will be working at Burger King again. Be in early for your meeting.
"As a manager over I/R and PT, I can't wait to surplus some I/R techs. PT's are smarter and harder workers in every way. I/R techs get winded putting their feet up on a desk. I know the surplussed I/R techs will become PT's, but then I can have my way with them under app J."
As a 1st line manager, your terrible attitude makes me want to get into an area manager position as soon as possible, transfer to wherever in the world you slither, and purge the company of people like you that blame the techs for your own poor management. I started with I&R and the bad techs I met along the way are much fewer than the good ones. Techs probably don't work to their fullest and wont go avove and beyond for someone the micromanages and resents them. Sounds like you are that type of manager. Songs will be sung and toasts will be raised when your time comes to get the boot
As a manager over I/R and PT, I can't wait to surplus some I/R techs. PT's are smarter and harder workers in every way. I/R techs get winded putting their feet up on a desk. I know the surplussed I/R techs will become PT's, but then I can have my way with them under app J.
I&R "manager" If you step one foot in the door of a Central Office, like some of your buddies have tried, I will show you the parking lot post haste. I've done it before, will continue to do so. Still here and haven't been fired. You will soon learn and understand that AT&T does not care about you.
You are not going to have your way with anyone because you are a 1st line disposable employee.
I’m a CO ET too, in my crew of 14 there are going to be 6-7 retiring in < 1 to 4 years. Can’t replace all that experience and knowledge with the lack of qualified techs and training. It’s going to be much more difficult for those of us left in the coming years.
I’m a 4-wall CO ET, the same thing has been happening to us, down to the bare minimum and constantly driving between multiple assigned offices. Nearly every office a few years ago was manned by at least one to two static techs ( toll & frame) and most larger ones had up to 20+ techs. Now we are down to skeleton crews with little to no training for any new replacements which, is few and far between. Training is sporadic OJT with a little online stuff but a lot of classes are no longer offered, even though we still work on it. Weekends (Sat and Sun) you are by yourself covering all the offices in your crews turfs, it can be overwhelming at times.
Welcome to what happens when poor business decisions are made. Lower rank and file pay for it.
You are correct that the company is allowing attrition to thin the core I & R techs. 10 years ago in several turfs around the Atlanta metro area in the SE there used to be full 2 Cable Repair FT crews and 3 Installation ST crews. They have now been whittled down to only 1 combined crew that is split to cover all those same turfs. More forced OT and weekends during busy months.
To those Prem techs who only think FT’s only skill is doing installations, fixing easy troubles and removing BT. We had/have to work in Manholes, air pressure, lead, fiber, paper cable (can you say breakdown set) pics cable, load coils, locate troubles/damages and dig pits in buried cable that is multiple in Xboxes and streets, rpr aerial cable, repeaters, maintenance cuts, cut in terminals, splicing up to 3000 pair copper cables (large cables don’t count the same as small cables), splice and repair large fiber cables, etc… the list goes on and on. So don’t think you know it all, that’s a recipe for failure.
Not to say you can’t learn too but it takes years and I know telecomm is heading to be mainly fiber and wireless but it’s still going to take a while due to many factors. I remember when we were told by an executive at a big meeting in the 80’s that the facilities would all be fiber, copper would be removed and gone in 5 years time, LOL. I made a career on copper and it’s still going, though disappearing more rapidly now. Good luck to all you younger guys continue to take the test for more opportunities when they arise and don’t stop learning, it’s your ticket for other opportunities when a surplus happens or you want a change.
Who ever told you no layoffs until 2024, lied. Company did not agree to such BS. I have been apart of District 6 Southwest Region for 24 yrs, there is no such agreement. Bargained for, non-management employees are not safe, ever. True, company is looking to slim Labor down, alot....and I personally believe we will receive more notices in March. Since they just slimmed down L1 and L2 managers last week.
There are a lot of ABFS technicians that do installations and repairs for ATT commercial accounts that are Legacy T and retirement eligible. Unfortunately, those jobs are safe for now. Not sure if there are any future plans to surplus the titles that handle that work.
Todays prem tech will be tomorrow’s IR techs. What I mean by that is that as AT&T becomes more reliant on the title , prems will win more and more concessions and pay and benefits from the company during contract negotiations. AT&T is high if they think they can continue to use and abuse the title.
Have any of you actually watched TV in the last 6 months?
Verizon and T-mobile are selling 5G hotspots for the home. No cross connect at the CO, no Xbox jumpers, no F1/F2, no drop.
Just plug it in at home turns 5G into whole home Wi-Fi. If your cell phone works in the house the hotspot will work. Providing internet and ip phone service for the whole house.
No tech needed for installation or repair. That’s how the company is going to get rid of expense.
Good news is there will always be a job for technicians. We just don’t need thousands. In fact eventually we could just let DTV be the tech and they can pay the expense.
DTV = Frontier
What’s a I/R and prem tech?
- mobility
As a manager over I/R and PT, I can't wait to surplus some I/R techs. PT's are smarter and harder workers in every way. I/R techs get winded putting their feet up on a desk. I know the surplussed I/R techs will become PT's, but then I can have my way with them under app J.
They are keeping prem techs because they do the same and more. Installation and repair just specializes and gets paid more to do less. They are not laying off anybody you are just getting demoted to fall in line with prem techs pay.
Union does not do a damn thing for us but laugh with management and get fat.