Thread regarding Altice USA (Cablevision) layoffs

A SAMPLE OF THINGS TO COME. It's called by the police as an M.O., method of operation, or the latin modus operandi.

If you think things are going to get better, than YOU are more ignorant than I thought.

According to Wikipedia, "the term is often used in police work when discussing crime and addressing the methods employed by the perpetrators. It is also used in criminal profiling, where it can help in finding clues to the offender's psychology. It largely consists of examining the actions used by the individual(s) to execute the crime, prevent its detection and/or facilitate escape. A suspect's modus operandi can assist in their identification, apprehension, or repression, and can also be used to determine links between crimes."

This isn't to say a crime has been committed, otherwise, there would be some in jail by now. But history does tend to repeat itself. If you're curious as to which direction Altice is heading, then look no further than what Altice has done to their companies in France. The following is from STOPTHEGAP. com, whose motto is "Promoting Better Broadband, Fighting Data Caps and Usage-Based Billing."The link to the entire article is provided below. Read what Altice has done to the company and its subscribers....

Dated January 24TH, 2017

In 2016, just one company was responsible for more than half of all consumer complaints aimed at telecommunications companies in France. That provider was Altice-owned SFR/Numericable. Last year alone, the number of complaints against Patrick Drahi’s telecom conglomerate jumped 120%, with consumers upset about the company’s landline, wireless, cable TV and broadband services, according to data from the French Association of Telecom Users (AFUTT) and noted by Capital.

Patrick Drahi’s business philosophy, backed by billions in Wall Street bank loans used to acquire companies and then slash budgets to the bone, proved to be terrible for his customers in 2016. Cablevision and Suddenlink subscribers can only hope those mistakes won’t be repeated here.

In just over two years after taking over one of France’s largest cell phone and cable operators — SFR/Numericable, more than 2.5 million customers have fled, fed up with Drahi’s initial lack of interest spending money on network upgrades and service improvements. It didn’t help that the prior owner — the conglomerate Vivendi — didn’t invest enough either, leaving the French cell phone company with headline-grabbing service outages, indifferent customer service, and a fear of employee suicides from threatened cutbacks and layoffs.

Michel Paulin, in charge of SFR, told employees in an internal memo obtained by Les Echos things are still bad at the company. “We have to face it: our customers are still not satisfied and far too many are still leaving for other operators,” Paulin wrote. “This year we will have to regain the confidence of our customers, but we will also have to return to growth in fixed and mobile broadband.”

That growth is still expected to come at the expense of jobs. By the summer of 2019, Drahi will have presided over the slashing of more than one-third of the SFR/Numericable workforce, amounting to at least 5,000 French workers.

http://stopthecap.com/category/providers/altice-sa/

Hmmmm... does this sound familiar to you? Does it ring a bell in your head? If the article didn't mention France at all, you'd swear it was describing YOUR SITUATION. The methods used in France are being used HERE. To your company. Concerning your jobs. Concerning your SHORT future. It WILL BE the outcome of what is to come. With fewer technicians servicing customers, subscribers will be pissed. The wait time between TCs will be longer. Subscribers and former subscribers will ask you.... "what happened to you guys? What happened to Cablevision?" Of course, what can you say? Your response.... "Don't know? ....Those were the good-old days..... I remember how it used to be..... Don't have an answer to that..... We're trying..... I have no control over that."

How much MORE CLEARER can I make this point. As I have said REPEATEDLY....., THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. It doesn't take a genius to figure out what's happening and what's GOING TO HAPPEN.

This is Altice's method of operation. My God, even Wall Street has said this, and they don't know what a "fitting" is. You guys can't get it through your thick heads. A child can solve this.

You're hard working, trying to make ends meet. With families depended on you. You're walking around with huge question marks on your head. Where's the confusion? Do you need Big Bird from Sesame Street to explain it for you? Can you be that naive? Were you unknowingly hypnotized at some point in your lives?

To all the other depots with a chance to vote..... HEAR THIS........ WAKE UP! Those who have an ear..... let them hear! Does that sound familiar?

Perhaps dipping your head in ice might help. Perhaps Sunday church service with the entire congregation praying might assist you. Perhaps finding a second job is the answer. Maybe your spouse might find a job? And, of course (ya' never know)... you might just hit the lotto. That'll solve everything. Yeah... right!

These are signs of things to come. And YOU can't stop it... by yourself. BUT AS A GROUP..... that's a different story. In unity, there is strength. ALL for one and one for ALL. Do you need more cliches to pump you up? Do you have your brain in shut-off mode?

As I have said before, I am retired. I have nothing to do with Altice. I did my 20 with Cablevision, and not Altice. If I were still there, I'd be a thorn on their side. The itch you couldn't scratch. One big, pain in the a--. I used FACTS and DATA to influence my decision to leave. My eyes were open and my mind was clear. An easy decision.

But you guys were s---er-punched. You bought the "promise" routine WITH EASE. You believed in a dream and not reality. You were asleep when you should have been awake. The "good" bosses are gone. Those whom you had respect for. Look at what you've got now. You KNOW you don't believe them. You KNOW you can't trust what they say.

Enough said. Throw that monkey wrench into Altice's plans before it is too late. You NOW KNOW their method of operation. Their modus operandi. What they are GOING To DO. It is predictable. It is obvious. It is a sample..... of things to come.

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| 761 views | | 7 replies (last March 3, 2017) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+M7g53El

7 replies (most recent on top)

Okay. Let's figure this out. It's apparent that the main negative arguments concerning unions are two-fold. 1) union dues. 2) Guarantees

1) Union dues.

Hey, what club DOES NOT have a membership fee? Even churches ask for tithing? They're just not called membership fees. Try getting HBO for nothing. How about your driver's license? Aren't you paying a fee? Aren't waiters adding their 15% to the price of the meal? Are you so shocked? For Christ sake, don't make it into an extraordinary phenomenon. HOLY CRAP.... A FEE! What!!!

The union fee is 1.7 percent of your hourly wage. PERIOD. Now here comes the hard part... the math.

If your earning, say $20.00 per hour, at 40 hours per week, your week's salary would be $800. Simple. Take 1.7 percent of $800 and you arrive at $13.60. THIRTEEN DOLLARS AND SIXTY CENTS. Or, $27.20 per check. That's the fact. READ THE CONTRACT that the IBEW negotiated with COMCAST and evaluate for yourself if it is worth the $27.20 deduction. Don't let management or other technicians who provide no proof, but only "big mouths" to back up their claims.

2) Guarantees.

Whatever the contract states is GUARANTEED. It is a BINDING AGREEMENT. Simple. If you don't know what a contract and if it actually has any legality in the court system, then you really need to go back to school. In general, life does not promise you a good life, a bad life, a spiritual life, nor a promised seat on the next SPACE X flight. Not the union nor Altice can guarantee any future you may have. Jesus, you don't even know if you'll be alive tomorrow. Your future is determined by the decision and options you take.

Where is the evidence from those who are opposed? Where is the evidence from those who endorse? I speak for no one else. But this I know. I research for myself, believing no one but THE FACTS.

Here's the link for the COMCAST contract...

http://ibew827.com/sites/local827d6.prometheuslabor.com/files/comcast_fairfield_2015-2018_approved.pdf

I did my homework. Now, YOU DO YOURS!

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Post ID: @vam+M7g53El

Hey Kanobee... I've got your back !

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Post ID: @kqx+M7g53El

I enjoy all your "facts" about a wireless company operating in Europe and comparing that to a wireline business in the us. Different economies, different workers rights, and a different (though similar) product. A more reasonable comparison is the Brooklyn depot. I know everyone wants to down play it, but thatnis what a union will do for you. Don't believe the "we'll have more power" nonsense. The only thing you could ever receive is a contract comparable to Brooklyn. If that is what you want, good luck.

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Post ID: @xpj+M7g53El

Agreed Obeeone. All you have ever done here is state FACTS & DATA but here's the problem.

  • Some techs do not have the foresight to see what is coming

  • Some techs are not at all concerned about what Altice is doing in France

  • Some techs believe that as long as their paycheck remains as is, they'll be fine

  • Some techs never worked in a union shop & have only negative perceptions force fed to them by management

  • Some techs actually believe that signing up for ATS and getting a bogus bonus is their only option to remain employed here

  • Some techs are just selfish cowards that are incapable of seeing that Altice DOES NOT have their best interest in mind and are unwilling to take any action to protect themselves

Here's the good news

Oakland techs just forced Altice to pump the brakes. Altice will now have to redirect all their resources into preventing other shops from following this same path. The time is now for all other shops to do what needs to be done.

the ball is already rolling in other shops across the footprint...

TO ALL TECH EVERYWHERE, LET'S DO THIS!

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Post ID: @htj+M7g53El

If a subject matter is IMPORTANT to someone, they TEND TO HAVE A LOT TO SAY. Never a few sentences. And good arguments are supported with FACTS and DATA. Example... FACT: Pigeons will eventually die. DATA: .... six years in the wild. Present your argument made for THAT TIME so that we may ALL understand your position. The only responses I've seen, from those who REALLY CARED, were from LONG, written, passionate technicians, who poured their hearts out. And I guarantee you this.... I've had a lot to say. Whoever you are.... do everyone a favor.... and DON'T represent or mispresent the technicians who wish to save their jobs. Use this website for the common good. Express to others that the union is the way to go and why. But don't lie to them and say that the union has ALWAYS been the answer. Here are the facts, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics....

The union membership rate--the percent of wage and salary workers who were members of

unions--was 10.7 percent in 2016, down 0.4 percentage point from 2015, the U.S. Bureau

of Labor Statistics reported today. The number of wage and salary workers belonging to

unions, at 14.6 million in 2016, declined by 240,000 from 2015. In 1983, the first

year for which comparable union data are available, the union membership rate was

20.1 percent, and there were 17.7 million union workers.

UNION MEMBERSHIP is down. In '83 it was 20.1 percent. It was 10.7 last year. I wonder why? It is because laborers did not feel the need for one. During that time? Simple. Period. No different from buying a car today, or buying it tomorrow. We ALL take certain actions according to our needs and when it is necessary. That doesn't mean it will always be a bad or good choice. Choices are made when they need to be made. And WE ALL MAKE THEM according to the atmosphere or situation of THAT TIME. And then when necessary..... WE ADJUST. We adapt. We change..... according to the time. I'm sure when you go to McDonald's, you don't always order fries.

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Post ID: @urc+M7g53El

It's too bad you don't use facts or data to support anything you say. Making blanket statements is exactly what Cablevision, and now Altice, use to make. But if you claim to REALLY know me, then YOU would know that EVERYTHING I have said.... was related to FACTS and DATA.... that was PREVALENT for THAT TIME. If YOU read ALL the articles I have written on this site, YOU will see CONSISTENCY and FACTS relating to the subject matter. WHO was the other guy? WHO was taking the risks and battles for me? If YOU had no support from other technicians at that time, (whatever that time was), then blame it on YOUR lack of facts, or your lack of convincing others of your crusade. Thank God you are NOT a lawyer. And heaven forbid, YOU are claiming to be a prophet. What "other guy" are YOU referring to? What circumstances are YOU referring to? What risks? What battles? No need to mention names. in other words.... WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? If YOU were the spokesman for "the other side", then look at yourself for guilt. Tell everyone here what YOU were doing for the common good. How YOU were able to predict the future YEARS in advance? PLEASE TELL US ALL. Share that magical power YOU possess so that WE may all prosper. After all... it's never too late to learn something new.

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Post ID: @prg+M7g53El

Wasn't obi-wan the guy who stood by and had another guy take all the risks and fight his battles for him?

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Post ID: @ojz+M7g53El

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