Thread regarding CenturyLink layoffs

Has anyone read the book of Job, or Revelations?

I started with Sprint in 1998. I had over 5 years Key/PBX and Outside Plant Air Force training. I thought I had a career for life as an I&R Tech with Sprint. At that time, I owned a PrimeCo cell phone and cell rates were 35 Cents per minute! That all changed over the years as we all know.

Then in 2008 the first AX fell and wiped out many good tech’s including a few of my friends.

In 2014, as I was sitting at a cad-10 trying to get a 1.5 Meg to work with 40+ year old aircore cables with more broken, deteriorated conductors than good ones I realized I had to do something. Management was fully aware of what was coming and they were not spending any more than they HAD TO to keep the lights on. Never mind upgrade the entire local network.

I began retraining that year in something I had always wanted to do outside of Telecom. I listened to audio CD’s instead of the Radio between jobs “enroute of course” and did a lot of my learning on the clock during breaks and lunches. I obtained my License and worked part time on the side for 4+ years until last June.

Last year, when Click/Max was introduced I had truly had enough of the Bullshxt and I knew I had an option! It was the toughest decision of my life. After 19 1/2 years I took the Voluntary Separation Package. So far all is well. I miss the guys and I miss having a week or two off straight and not thinking about work at all. When you are your own business it just doesn’t work that way.

On the same note, I now can plan and make sure I meet my wife for dinner and make sure I’m at my kids school functions without worrying about another job dropping in and disrupting the thing we are all busting our a– for, our families!

Prepare yourself if your Under 50 years old and if the opportunity comes and you’re prepared you’ll have a choice. It won’t be easy, but at least YOU will have a choice!

It was miserable. For 20 years I worried about my job as departments closed with the work centered in union free locations as much as possible. I think there was a package offer pretty much every year of the 29, mostly voluntary, but some years not. Every year the package offers shrunk from a high of two years pay, and health benefits, to six months and Cobra. I always thought “just let me get the kids raised”, which we did, so there is that, but now I am stuck in the not old enough to retire, but too old for a lot of opportunities, with a knowledge base that is in a dying industry, and really specific to telephony. I am thankful for the 30 years, loved my job all but the last five.

If your over 60 you are old enough to draw your 401k and hopefully old enuf to start drawing AS. You should have retirement to draw too. I am right there with you and the way i look at it is i am just hanging on waiting for the word.

I have contributed heavily to the 401k foe years and i am ready for this to end. As a tech, i have jobs waiting if i want. I am not sure i want to work again at this point.

Don't let it get you down and explore your options now.

To be perfectly honest..... it scares the c-ap out of me, coming to work everyday not knowing whether I'll have a job tomorrow or not. Similar feeling to hearing "go to your room and wait for your punishment". At over 60 y/o, thinking of having to find another career is damn near paralyzing; thinking that all I'll be accepted to is a door greeter at WalMart due to the ageist mentality of corporate culture. Yes, I'm am looking for "new life" in the working world, something else I can do to make money to keep the roof over our heads and food on the table (and, we live a VERY frugal life).

I'd be really interested in knowing what other people in my category/situation have done to move on, etc.

Cheers!

I posted the original post . Not disgruntled and i'm in the load today ? who said anything about being "wronged" I know I didn't. I asked some questions and talked about the stress level of working here not knowing what's coming next ? hemorrhaging customers, lines, and technicians cannot continue for long. I have a couple of good friends with 20+ years at ATT thought like some of you and they are now unemployed? And I know people here that got fed up and took the early out?

So I post something of actual substance and it sets you all off ? cry baby hardly realist yes. thanks for confirming what I thought it is affecting you. you showed us here how much. well back to tickets you know MAXX cant sit here too long

Well looks like the OP hit a nerve !!! look at all of the comments some mighty p-ss-d off people id say !!

Name calling and swearing if it truly didn't bother you? you'd scroll on by ? some truth in the OP statements, some myth no need to get bent outta shape ? everything is just fine at century link.

It feels goood 😏 reaaaall goood 😏

Cry baby 😂😂😂

Only 2000, when Qwest merged / bought US West we were going through 2000 to 10,000 a day for two weeks and then additional pruning and restructuring for 2 more years Nationwide.

It hurts, it's traumatizing, it makes you feel un appreciated and like a piece of meat.

You have to stand up and know that you did your best and that those in Ivory Towers collecting their Stock Options and Golden Parachutes and Bonuses at some point will have to meet their conscious straight on when at some point they find themselves vulnerable and Mortal and not a Demi God in their own minds.

Your self worth isn't measured by those that don't even know your name.

This guy thinks we are meek men. I boldly laugh at this. What will we do? We push on man, as we've always done.