Safety is Better Than Sorry

Hi, I’m an employee at AT&T and the following is my opinion.

Not sure how many of you had the opportunity to watch the video on WSB-TV 2 in Atlanta about the technician who almost set a home on fire.  More importantly, he almost didn’t go home that night.  Here is the video, so check it out.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/news/local/homeowner-says-t-technician-nearly-set-home-fire/nj9c3/

I wouldn’t blog about it if I had seen a “flash” report on the incident.  I didn’t, so felt you might need a reminder how a stupid action might just get you killed.  Many technicians visit my blog, especially younger ones.  You are well “trained” to avoid actions that are dangerous, but sometimes training just doesn’t “sink” in, or you have a “superman” moment to save some time.

Not too long ago, I was sent to help a wire technician who had discovered an electrified line.  First of all, it should have been a supervisor that went to check, but the boss told him to drop a “helper ticket” for a bucket truck to test it.  When I got there, he had his screwdriver stuck in the ground with one end of the bond cord to it and the other to an “insulated” #6 copper mgnv on the pole.  Turns out he was only reading induction and there was nothing wrong.  It dumbfounded me that he had clipped to an insulated wire, there was no contact with the copper at all!  I took a few minutes to explain things to him and thought, “wow, these young guys are dangerous”.

In the video, you’ll hear the homeowner quote the technician, “Thank God I didn’t get electrocuted”.  That’s exactly right, be thankful you’re alive.  When I worked in the test center, I took a call from an operator who had a homeowner on the line.  She said a technician was working under her house and she hadn’t heard any noise for a long time and was worried about him.  Medics found him still under the house but dead.  He didn’t survive after coming in contact with a pigtailed electrical wire that had no tape or plastic nut.  The wire was in an uncovered electrical box that had been nailed to a joist, above where he was crawling.

I know you’re worried about making your numbers and making your supervisor happy at bonus time, but it’s not worth losing your life over!  We’re pressed constantly about MSOC numbers; out the gate time, in the gate time, hurry and get this next job, and so on and so forth…  It’s not worth losing your life over!  Slow down and just do things right.  Above all, be careful around electrical wiring.  I don’t know the whole story on the video.  It sounds like he cut either a 110V or a 220V circuit.  There is NEVER a reason to cut an electric wire in a customer’s home.  Drilling through one is possible, but not if you understand how most homes are built and you should never drill through a floor or wall without checking it first for wiring.

Most of you are too young to remember Michael Conrad on the TV show “Hill Street Blues”, but I’ll close with his signature phrase…  HEY, LET’S BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

Guide to Making Your Numbers with MSOC

Hi, I'm an employee of AT&T and the following is my opinion.   In case you didn't read my earlier blogs, THEY like for me to say that.

     The evil MSOC program has been rearing it's ugly head among most of the AT&T technicians recently.  It's hard to find someone who loves a whip on their back and constant threats of disciplinary actions.  Just for review, MSOC is the overall statistical analysis of each technician's day at work, doing the companies bidding.  There are many categories to fail in, especially with the benchmarks set unbelievably high.  Just for instance, if I'm dispatched on a telephone line trouble to your house and the problem is in the house and no one is home... that lowers my dispatch efficiency.  It wasn't my fault you were not home and I'm not allowed to break in and fix the trouble but it lowers my daily grade.  If I am not allowed to work on a piece of equipment, I also have to refer that trouble to a technician(Central Office or Digital Technician) and that lowers my numbers.

     It's like hunting in a field with your best dog.  He doesn't find any birds because there aren't any, so you run up and kick him!  Normally, that would be considered animal abuse and you shouldn't be surprised when he bites you.  If I was watching, I'd cheer for the dog!

     Another truly diabolical addition to the program is the bucket list.  Everyone's statistics(numbers) in the group are listed in order and divided into five percentage groups.  The top twenty percent are called "A" technicians and are praised for what they have done.  The bottom twenty percent are labeled "E" technicians and are disciplined for their low numbers.  It is actually possible to reach all the required goals set by the company and still be an "E" technician, if statistically you fall into the lower quintile.  In other words, if everyone is scrambling up a rope for safety and if they work harder than you do, you're still on the bottom even if you've done everything correct!  And you were wondering why every AT&T employee seems disgruntled and difficult to talk to.  We're trying to survive in an upside down world!

     It is with those thoughts that I present to you my "tongue and cheek" guide to making your numbers


1.  Lie.  You can't do it any other way.  Certain codes carry more allotted time so use them.  When the Florida guys came to help us after storm damage, I worked behind some who obviously weren't using the correct codes on what they did.  I discovered the great disparity between telling the truth and telling  a lie... better numbers!

2.  Learn from the best.  Let's face it, most of us hate working behind an "A" technician.  They don't do any cleanup or routine work that will keep a later trouble from happening.  For example, changing out old protectors, corroded connectors, replacing improper grounds, closing pedestals, etc.  They've learned to work the system and by doing the same things, your numbers will vault skyward.

3. Donate your time to the company.  I know a technician who regularly works through lunch and doesn't report the time.  Consider it volunteer hours to stay ahead of the competition.  Shucks, you can even stay late for free, if you need that whole hour at lunch.  Of course, don't even think about breaks.  Those few minutes of rest that your work forefathers fought for, are just relics of the past!  However, you can still use them when you're questioned about that 9 minute stop reported on your GPS.  Just say it was your break and not a restroom stop.  They think we're like the .29 cent/day garment workers in Cambodia who don't need bathroom breaks.

4.  Replace all damaged buried service wires.  Let's face it, it takes time to locate and fix a cut BSW.  That is 30 to 45min that you could be on your way to another trouble.  Throw out a quick temporary wire and call for a contractor.  Sure it may cost the company more money but your numbers are at stake!

5.  Let your bad spots "perk".  Open pedestals and terminals will eventually fail from weather and UV rays.  They don't allow time for routine work anymore and eventually you'll get a trouble report there.  You can fix it then and not even have to measure to the location, because you've driven past it a hundred times and know exactly where it is!  The rest of the lines at that spot will go bad over time and then you've got what the old guys referred to as a "honey hole".  I didn't think they would ever come back in fashion.

6. My last one, the company has already implemented...  Refer every job that will take over an hour to the "first mile" group.  They'll fix anything - - eventually.  The way it works, is like a recent damaged cable I found.  You throw out a temporary fix and put the form in for them to fix it and not us.  Yes, I know we're maintenance, but we can't be tied up fixing things.  We've become the bird dog, just find it and refer it.  Close your trouble to the temporary fix with the proper narrative. 

     I had a training class recently on the company Code of Ethics.  It's a very nice work and I only wish the MSOC climate we work in was different.  It makes the code seem hypocritical.  I said my guide was "tongue in cheek" because I refuse to do any except number 6.  I've been told to do that by my supervisor several times and I've complied.  I will not lie about my day and it is against the law to work and not get paid for it.  I've been an "E" technician twice now - just for doing what I was told.  I've done this type of work for thirty four years and NOW I'm not good enough?  I know it's not just me.  I have friends who tell me the same type stories from all over.  The talking points memo seems to have gone company wide because management seems to be the same everywhere.  The phrase I hear a lot is "The days of coming in and working just four or five troubles is OVER!"  Well, I'd rather work four or five troubles right than ten troubles wrong. 

     For those of you who are contemplating giving in to the encouragement to do what is wrong, please don't.  It will hurt all of us but most of all, it will hurt you!  They'll keep raising the bar till you can't make it anyway.  Keep your integrity no matter the cost!  If CWA won't fight for us, then we'll fight it together.  There are laws which will begin to apply as the situation worsens.

     So, AT&T, we can keep going in this plan to ruin all our outside plant and keep our work atmosphere of intimidation and harassment or we could just get back to keeping our customers happy and making the stockholders more money.  It's not a either/or decision.  Making more money isn't always the right answer and neither is kicking the dog!

 "What counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight - it's the size of the fight in the dog"
General Dwight Eisenhower