What's going on with NYNEX (I work for NYNEX, I'm a switching equipment technician -- or switchman if you feel more comfortable with the standard sexist designation) is that they pushed thousands of managers out the doors in the last 2-3 years and suddenly realized that they were seriously shorthanded. The pool of labor they traditionally called managers up from -- top paid craft positions -- has been turning down management jobs wholesale. Suddenly they are re-hiring managers they forced out 6 months or a year ago as contract labor at twice the original salary, and are hiring new, young, college grads right off the street. The guys (mostly men) coming back as contractors no longer have clear cut contractual authority to deal with the union or discipline union workers. The new kids off the street are running around with no technical expertise trying to enforce rules on people twice their age. The result is the new ones (jet jobs as we call them) are getting side swiped, harrassed and laughed off the job. Customers have no chain of command to make complaints, and the union had no chain of command to sit grievances with! Meanwhile, people with the age and seniority are sitting around waiting for buy outs. All eligible union members in NYNEX have been promised at least one early buy out offer with pension and sweeteners prior to the August, 1998 contract. (Me too!!! Me too!!!) As we sit and wait for buy outs, refusing any and all management jobs, ignoring the new managers and trying to work around all the new road blocks, we discuss the terrible plight of customers trying to get service! One of the biggest problems is all these new companies are supplying our equipment. The chain of command has broken down in many places, so no one knows where to order parts, and, at the same time, not enough of us are being trained on all the new, and weird, equipment being installed. Mean time, we have weekly battles with contractors who are trying to horn in on installing equipment in our buildings .................. ah yes, 're-engineering' is just so exciting........ gotta go -- i'm getting over time to run in cables for some new equipment i can't even pronounce. maggie coleman [EMAIL PROTECTED]
