Hi, I'm an employee of AT&T. Today's blog is the sad story of management gone awry but of course, that is only my opinion.
On Friday, January 27, I came into work as usual and found a co-worker who normally comes in later. He said that he was told to be there early to act as a union steward! "Really, for who?" "You!"
An even worse thing had happened earlier, I dropped my cup of coffee getting into the car. I was running a little later than usual and didn't have time to stop and get a replacement. My morning coffee is important. It just gets my day started right and even has a calming affect for my overall attitude. I'm just nicer when I've had a cup.
"What? What have I done?" "Don't know." It didn't take long to find out. My MSOC numbers weren't passable for December. It didn't help that I took three weeks off for vacation. Time off always hurts your base and screws up the percentages. I failed for repeated reports by .01% and dispatch efficiency. I think I referred a trouble to the DLC group and "no accessed" a trouble when a customer wasn't home. On my repeats, one was disconnected, one was a repeat on myself(sorry about the honesty), and another was a customer phone set problem, after I had cleared a cable trouble outside. My base for the month was only about 50 troubles.
The meeting was somewhat "matter of fact"... here are your numbers, they are awful, I'm giving you an entry... "Wait, aren't we going to look at each trouble and talk about it". "I haven't pulled that info" "You're going to do this to me and not even see if it is warranted?" ....Supervisor looking at computer screen...typing... more typing... "okay, I'll give this to someone else to look at and verify the numbers"
Ok, meeting over, picked up a trouble, went to service station for fuel and coffee. Had just finished my first job when phone rang. It's my supervisor...I can't do anything with the numbers...looks bad...sorry...I'll still let someone else look at it. All my arguments were tossed aside with a "yep" and I was put in limbo land till Monday.
Monday came and I received a call on my first job that it was official. So, I'm a 33 year employee with a disciplinary counseling entry. When you do everything a company asks of you for this long, this type treatment is unexpected. This is new territory for me because I've always thought of myself as a good employee. Eight hours work for eight hours pay has always been a covenant rule. Ah, but the rules have changed. The new rule is ten hours work for eight hours pay, no breaks, and travel time doesn't count!
It just so happened that our work group was supposed to meet for lunch celebrating a member's work anniversary. As the morning drug on, I just couldn't attend. I called and offered my apologies and honestly said, that I just couldn't, in good conscience sit and fellowship with such an unreasonable supervisor. I needed to think...I needed to pray.
I couldn't get away from the thought that I was being played by someone. I just couldn't figure out who. Was it an older manager who had been bypassed for promotion? How about a new manager wanting to make points? Was it the old BellSouth management team and their dislike for Dallas control? How about the new AT&T needing a test case to see just how far they can push?
At lunch, I spent the time walking and having a nice conversation with God about the entire incident. I prayed for guidance and in an unusual thought, I almost asked for a sign that I was going in the right direction. Just a fleeting thought...because we aren't supposed to test God...but I thought if there was a sign, it would be a white handled non-folding knife, lying where I could find it as I walked...then I thought, that isn't right, faith doesn't require a sign. As I walked through the woods and returned to the truck, I felt better. I remembered the knife thought and figured "God doesn't work that way."
Nighttime found me worrying and that isn't like me either. My faith is stronger than that... I finally fell asleep. Woke up about four, thinking of the next steps. Got up at seven and went to work. I had a few minutes so I pulled up biblegateway.com and the verse of the day was from Psalm 86:5 "You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you." That was what I needed to hear. I clicked the expand button and read the entire chapter. I could ask you to look it up, but this would be easier.
1 Hear me, LORD, and answer me,
for I am poor and needy.
2 Guard my life, for I am faithful to you;
save your servant who trusts in you.
You are my God; 3 have mercy on me, Lord,
for I call to you all day long.
4 Bring joy to your servant, Lord,
for I put my trust in you.
5 You, Lord, are forgiving and good,
abounding in love to all who call to you.
6 Hear my prayer, LORD;
listen to my cry for mercy.
7 When I am in distress, I call to you,
because you answer me.
8 Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;
no deeds can compare with yours.
9 All the nations you have made
will come and worship before you, Lord;
they will bring glory to your name.
10 For you are great and do marvelous deeds;
you alone are God.
11 Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.
12 I will praise you, Lord my God, with all my heart;
I will glorify your name forever.
13 For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths,
from the realm of the dead.
14 Arrogant foes are attacking me, O God;
ruthless people are trying to kill me—
they have no regard for you.
15 But you, Lord, are a compassionate and gracious God,
slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness.
16 Turn to me and have mercy on me;
show your strength in behalf of your servant;
save me, because I serve you
just as my mother did.
17 Give me a sign of your goodness,
that my enemies may see it and be put to shame,
for you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.
I pulled the first job from dispatch on my computer. A Uverse trouble, errors and intermittent sync in Columbiana. I called the contact # and it was disconnected. Called the second #, it was the premise technician who told me the trouble they were having and related his tests on the outside.
On my arrival at the customers address, I made contact with the customer and told them I would be working on their line to find the trouble. Grabbing my tools, I walked around back to the interface and stopped. There on the ground, lying directly underneath my test point was an non-folding white handled knife. It was clean, except where some rain had bounced dirt on the blade and handle. It was placed there before the last rain. An answer sent, even before the thought was made!
Give me a sign of your goodness...for you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.
My grievance papers with the Communciation Workers of America will be filed tomorrow!
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