Outside Update
By Dan Jerde
2007 was a very tough year for all members on the Qwest side of the Local. The Area Vice Presidents filed over 400 grievances, mostly for performance issues like QJD, CQUE, and CTEP. The Company insists that the discipline they are administrating to the members is to make the members improve and make the Company more successful.
Morale is at an all time low within Qwest. The sad thing is that it doesn’t just have an affect at work, it creates it a ripple effect that follows you home and involves your whole family, and friends as well. It doesn’t seem fair that our loved ones have to suffer as well. If any members are experiencing stress or other heath issues as a direct result of the constant pressures we are put under to be “more successful”, I believe it’s time we tell our supervisors, managers and directors. And if they don’t listen to our concerns maybe it’s time for all members to call our friends at CWA District 7 and tell them what is going on. I will supply the numbers for you if wish to contact them.
I would like to speak directly to the outside technicians who are being unfairly measured for performance. When I say unfairly, I mean all the things that are not in our control like bad routing, drive time, not getting enough work, not getting credit for PNI’S and return jobs to cable, bad plant, truck and Tec Tad issues, and all the administrative work we do as technicians.
In order to help yourself when it comes to being disciplined
for performance, I have some suggestions:
First of all if a supervisor asks you to sit down in a meeting, you need
to ask “Could this meeting lead to discipline? “If your supervisor tells you it could or they
don’t know”, then you need to ask for UNION Representation by calling the Hall
(612-722-7200) so we can get someone into the meeting to represent you. If they
say no, then go into the meeting and take notes just incase it does lead to
discipline in the future. If you wish, after
the meeting call the
Secondly when you go into a meeting, be respectful. No meeting needs to get heated. Take the meeting seriously and professionally. Be sure and ask questions and then write them down along with the answers.
When it comes to the DEVO plan ask your supervisor to develop a DEVO plan that shows you exactly how to make the numbers and the performance goals set by the company. Make sure your supervisor writes down the issues you are having for example: being a late technician when are being moved all around the metro, not getting unbundled work, not getting credit for all the work you touch, bad routing, on hold with other Departments within the Company, Tec Tad issues, no work, truck issues, lack of training, bad plant, and the biggest one of all is Safety. When I have meetings with the Company through the grievance process, they tell me if the technician follows the DEVO plan they will make the numbers and the performance goals. WOW, if we were only told that two years ago.
I believe 2008 will be even tougher than 2007 when it comes to QJD. Hopefully we (as members) will stand together in total solidarity and show the Company that DISCIPLINE doesn’t make a Company successful. Success only comes with hard work, and working together as a team, taking care of our valuable customers.
Dan Jerde