CABL Forum - Re: Mediacom Contractor Price Cut

I can only speak from my own inhouse experience working in Missouri. It came to my salary review as I was servicing 3 towns daily and 15 or so on call 2x monthly. Doing the same work of their senior techs making around 15 an hr. They wouldn't even go to 10 an hour. Even had the area big wig come down and try to talk me into taking it, I'm well liked in the company and all the reports from customers were of a positive nature. But he concluded they couldn't afford to go the extra .75 cents to get me to 10 bucks. I told him I was a free agent and onto the net my resume. Within 2 days Iwas contacted by a Co in Chicago doing sweep and balance that needed a splicer and someone to chase down ingress as they had several nodes that they couldn't certify. They paid my airfare - roundtrip and hotel to come up for interview with the senior engineer. Just to make sure I knew what I was talking about! We sat down for breakfast while the owner of the Co went out on the cell and I was given the third degree. Bossman comes back in and says what do you think. My interviewer says "Hire Him Now"!They offerred me a large increase in pay which was ice as it is more expensive to live in Chicago and as it turned out I got all their Nodes to certify within 2 weeks of humping sticks like a wildman. They called me in for a beer one night after work after 2 months working for them and asked if I'd consider running the Chicago office for them, they offerred a substantial raise and a piece of the action when it came to swept, mitigated and certed nodes. I of course accepted!
All I can say regarding the company in question will do whatever it takes to make them a fortune and make you disgusted and unless you just walk your only helpiong them do it!
They ended up replacing me with 2 guys without a clue and paying them a total of 14 an hr plus benefits for their attitude towards me because they didn't understand I wasn't going to take their crap anymore and the BS line they couldn't afford it. They underestimated me in my threat and until the night I dropped off my truck and keys at the headend,that on Monday morning I was gone and their troubles were just starting!
In conclusion everyone, I'd say a massive walkout on by all independents and oh God I hate to say it, joining the Communications unions is the only way to hurt these greedy, take it or leave it aholes who have been sticing it to us for 30 years while they ate up the profits with their big contracts. They're all bigtime now as WE rebuilt their outdated systems and they don't need us now, but, the day will come when their shit doesn't fly and needs maintenance, and the senior techs are so overwhelmed by ingress, suckouts, bad cable that they will be forced to deal with us. If we are all members of the Union and have Union brothers like Phone and Electric wildcat in support of us the big cable Co's will be forced to deal with uson a level playing field as they will have pressure put on them from ATT and every electric company out there nationwifde to give us set wages and decent contracts. I'm no fan of the U word, in fact I can't stand the thought of it, but search your hearts and ask the question,how secure do you feel in your current position. If they tried to cut one Electric companies worker or phone guy all the trucks would be callled in and the whole thing would shut down until the situation was resolved. Do you have that power? I'll not say anything about those who will cross picket lines, watch Hoffa is all I can say! In his own words, We're eating it if we're down, they don't care about us not making a living. Now if they were to face that type of pressure and customers bitching cause their internet or TV doesn't work and no one will come fix it. How long before they just pick up the phone and call Dish or Direct, Wildblue and Hughesnet!
They would also be in the crosshairs of the U. They MUST be brought onboard also as they are getting away with robbery probably worse than the cable co's. We're all communications workers in some way and in some instances way more complicated than phone or electric.
Don't even try to change my opinion because the time for debate is over. You've all debated union at one time or another and then go right back to getting the shaft from these rich SOB's. I'm not Pro union at all, I'm just tired of getting screwed out of my living and feeding my family. The excuse that the guy who does nothing gets paid the same as the guy who busts his hump everyday can be taken care of by the employees out in the field. Enough said and I've said too much as this crap has to stop or we all need to find another field to feed the family. Let them maintain their own systems, run their own new extensions, figure out you can't put too many amp on 1 power supplywithout blowing it's fuse, then stand around for hours trying to figure out why. Then they call me out to find out why when they fuse this last LE the PS blows..and there they are trying to find a short when the answer is right on the damn map...morons. Not all inhouse are like that as you all know so but I've worked with a few who didn't even know what ingress was and how it could shut down the reverse path quick.
Anyway, who cares as I'm out of it, out of dishes and Hughes which I went to after I had back surgery and no one in cable would hire me back. My company in Chicago and then Little Rock went bankrupt because the owner was a degenerate gambler and blew over 3/4 of a million in profits in the Michigan Casino's, at least that's the story I got from someone in the kniow who spent his own money to keep the Little Rock operation going and had to take a second on his home to cover the damages. I'm in the process of getting back into aviation or the military itself to go over to Afghanistan where it still seeems we have a target rich environment and another good aircraft mechanic on a Warthog can make a difference! Best to all and I hope you figure this all out!

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Re: Mediacom Contractor Price Cut