"A installer on piece should be able to clear at least $25.00 per hour"
Exactly! The key phrase here is piece work. A contractor will have more earning potential. I am talking about an "IN HOUSE" tech who is making an hourly wage.
Do you all think I mean the whole friggin industry needs to go union?
No.
To narrow it down, I am talking about an HSP (B&A). This is a HSP for DirecTV. They are a very big operation in the DirecTV world. Me and my fellow techs were all told that our earnings were going to change from piece prices (and yes that is piece prices for employees). Which were 60/25 installs with free phone lines and pole mounts (hsp standards). And we were to change to an hourly rate of $10-$16 per hour, depending on senority and title.
I would have been in the $13 range. I had been with them for quite a while, but our senority didn't begin until were were made employees about 2 years ago. So, I stood there with my firends and co workers feeling like we had all been f*cked without the silicone grease and we were faced with a sink or swim situation. I could have stayed on with the company and filed for welfare and move to the poorhouse, or I could have went out and tried to find another job and risk getting screwed like after the Primestar to DirecTV days. or I could stand with my fellow techs and fight the best we could for another option.
Now all the changes that lead to this point were subtle, a one day notice that there would be no off day for New Years holiday, or a notice that all phone lines would be ran even if it meant a free wallfish. But this last little change in policy effecting everyone's earnings, was the one that broke this camels back.
So I we all decided to go with the CWA. Things were going good, we had all comitted to bi-weekly meetings after work (if you think that is easy to do after everyone is working 6-7 days per week in the hot summer, you'd better think again. And when we met, it was only the DirecTV techs talking to one another discussing how we felt wronged and how we thought certain policies needed to be discussed openly with the company heads. The company heads bargaining with the CWA and the techs who would have been voted to speek for us.
After 2 moths of rallying all 50 techs, we had signed 43 up in favor of a vote. We were about to file when me and three others were called in and let go. I was the main target, the others were caught in the crossfire. I won't go into the bs reason they gave, but I made contact with a manager who said out of the 13+ years he had worked for them, he had never heard of someone being fired for this crap. We didn't get a warning or squat.
So, about a week went by and Dennis caused havok on the DirecTV customers down here in Pensacola. I had a contact hook me up with a company that was expanding to do WildBlue and my position was open. I am now a small company owner and am looking for opportunities and am taking all in stride.
I had to move my wife and two kids away from the hometown in order to provide for them. Do I have a chip on my shoulder about the whole union topic? Hell yes! But, you others may want to stop and think before you slam your fellow brothers and sisters. You don't know what you may have done in my shoes.
Re: Dude...they make more than that now
Member #: 38055
Registered: 5/12/2005
Posted:
875
Name:
Small Business Owner
Company:
Premium Installs LLC
Occupation:
Satellite, Home Theatre, Telephony, Security, etc.
Location:
Sheffield, Al
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