CABL Forum - Re: The Shoe On The Other Foot

Dear Author of this Article,
I'd say your article is very well written. However, the problem here is that Directv has a rule of ethics. That businesses conduct themselves in the same manner as Directv does. That means that contract companies pay their subcontractors when the job is done. If they do not then they are not to get anymore install jobs. In the case of Connect tv.. if you recall a contractor by the name of Clay Howard (tomorrows Entertainment)? Connect tv paid Clay and he didn't pay his techs. This was told to Connect tv and they gave Clay more work anyways. Techs were told if you want to get paid you have to go to Columbus and work and get your checks. Many were owed thousands at this time some went and some didn't. The ones that went up and worked for weeks doing jobs in Ohio and then wanting pay as they were told never got their money. Connect was still giving Clay work weeks after they were aware of techs not getting paid. The techs were deserted in their motels as Clay Howard got paid for all the work they did and never paid the techs. Techs suffered many losses. Homes, business, families torn apart etc. Nobody protected them and no one ever made it up to them. Directv and Connect denied any wrong doing because they paid Clay Howard. The techs did good jobs and worked hard in all kinds of weather. Customers got what they needed and wanted, Directv is still making money off these installs and Connect also got paid as well as Clay Howard. The guy at the bottom (the techs) that was responsible for doing all the work that allowed the above mentioned entities to get paid got the royal screws. None of the above entities followed the ethical guide lines and all knew how bad the techs got screwed. The tech is consistently taken advantage of by the way these businesses are allowed to operate by Directv. They may have been right in their legal obligations, but the ethics and moral obligations were null and void! God forbid that they do something for the guy that made it possible for them to get paid in the 1st place! All I have seen since this tragedy is that they have made it even harder on the tech! When do those that negotiate these deals with Directv start negotiating in a way that makes it possible to do a good job without doing 5 or more jobs a day just to get by. they drop the pay while the price of gas, parts and everything else goes up! You have to supply everything and then hope you get paid! And they know. You know and all the techs know we eat their losses more than anyone while Directv maintains the customer who keeps paying them! The system in which we work is un fair to us and in a big way! We all know it! So when you say you can't blame the contractors you are wrong! It is up to the contractors to organize and negotiate a fair contract. But when they negotiate they go in with one thing in mind.....How to get theirs! New ways are needed in this business and you and every tech out there knows it. These companies are getting rich off our hard work! And quit giving everyone a hard time about shoty jobs. The reason so many shoty jobs exist is because of the illegal checks and balance that have been created to screw good techs to speed them up to allow mistakes that can be QC and jobs taken away from them. The system itself is set up to enable big mistakes and makes techs speed up to make those mistakes. It is the manner in which we have no rest, 7 days a week, Unexperienced people in charge that dont care even if they knew what they are doing, There are alot of tricks that screw the techs. Unbelievable in any other business! This all falls under un fair labor practices. If you want a good job done you have to pay for a good job! Ever heard that before? Too many are profiting again off the hard worker and the way this business has changed too many good ole buddies are making the money while the honest hard worker pays the cost! Yes your article was written well, but all it said was we have to work harder for less so the good ol boys like you get their money and so maybe we can get ours. I feel sorry if the government ever comes into this business and see exactly how bad the working man is taking the hit in this business!
However your heart may be in the right place, but I bet your greed is stronger as well as the greed of everyone above you. If not then do something to negotiate a good deal for the techs. You know the backbone of all theses companies.
As companies say Crap flows down hill! I guess that means solutions climb up. Well in this text is a solution so how about passing it up! You said you cared didnt you?

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Re: The Shoe On The Other Foot - For The DTV Insta