I have to disagree with you a bit on this. Theres no doubt that companies are using the economy to their favor. But the type of decline in wages now being seen in fiber is the norm for this industry, of unrepresented, un-united, and largely misclassified group of workers. EVERY kind of work that has come this way has had the same history. Rates start high, then they do a continuous decline as companies learn that as a group we will work for just about anything.
Ive come to the conlusion that this is just how it works, when you're unrepresented and have no say in your industry as a worker. DBS, CATV, and now Fiber have all done the same thing. Wages have dropped, while "qualifiations/tool list/tech responsibility" have all expanded.
"Our Industry" is a term that is used alot here. Truth be told, it's not "our" industry. It's "their" industry. "We" have NO say in this industry. It's just sad how this cycle (wage decline) continues and eveyone looks to blame the companies. It rather simple... In order for something to be considered "yours", you must have some kind of ownership and/or have some kind of "say" in it. As a group, we have neither.
Its simple troubleshooting. Different technologys, different companies, the same group of workers, the same results in regards to wages. What/who do you think is the real problem....
Splicers at AT&T, Verizon, and Quest earn $30/hr and provide nothing but their labor. While companies are asking us to work for that wage, providing much more than labor. Ask yourself.....Why is that?
Nothing is recession proof, but having a solid, legally binding, multi-year labor contract sure helps. It ain't perfect and it aint easy but it sure beats seeing wages for every kind of work in your field decline, while your responsibility increases. Hopefully, one day this simple fact can be learned.
Re: What has happened to Fiber Splicing
There is 1 reply to this message
