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Call
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www.IBEW.org
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582 comments:
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 582 of 582time warner cable sucks ass
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
Sorry about the spelling.
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 429 of 429 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.brent marr
423-2998
call any time
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union out. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same warm happy family enviornment. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there allways satisfied. At this pay rate I can survive forever. pays us more give the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve,
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Thank You
Steve Smith (Organizer) IBEW New England:
978.302.3690
Jenn Nappi (Organizer) IBEW 2327, Augusta ME: 207.623.2901
www.IBEW.org
http://www.aboutmytalk.com/t170634/s&job.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=085XrOqsieo
http://www.aboutmyjob.com/?p=2239
Carry On Soldiers This Battle will surely cost you alot
The Boston IBEW is NOT really a union -more like a pyramid scheme - have the apprentices enter into the school system and work much harder for much less pay. When they complete the training (JATC), they get laid off and end up in a less than honest referral system. If they refuse to “suck up” they’ll be there for ever - stuck on the “list”. Or they can travel for life on “the road.” Besides, you’re more likely to quit too…those members forfeit their pension credits. That is the idea, come in get deposits into the pension fund, then encourage them to drop out before they get vested. Some of these guys leave more than one hundred thousand dollars when the leave if they do not get vested that is.
But not me, I enjoy exposing them for what they are. Corrupt “career labor leaders.”
Real unions don’t force other members into pension breaks - while putting their family over to the Boston Globe & Harvard University maintenance department for life -even though they have very low IQs.
Also, real unions have strikes. What union has a 108 year history of never going on strike? None, actually. The Boston IBEW and NECA are just a corrupt synergy.
Voting is central to a democracy. If you can not vote, then society is more like an “order.” So look into the Boston IBEW and see how many of their leaders are either appointed (just think of Jane Swift), or self-appointed (like ML Carr). IN both cases, we got a sh*t deal.
436 CommentsClose this window Jump to comment form «Oldest ‹Older 401 – 436 of 436 Newer› Newest»
Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
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Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
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438 CommentsClose this window Jump to comment form «Oldest ‹Older 401 – 438 of 438 Newer› Newest»
Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Your comment has been saved.
It may take a moment for your comment to appear on the site.
438 CommentsClose this window Jump to comment form «Oldest ‹Older 401 – 438 of 438 Newer› Newest»
Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Your comment has been saved.
It may take a moment for your comment to appear on the site.
438 CommentsClose this window Jump to comment form «Oldest ‹Older 401 – 438 of 438 Newer› Newest»
Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
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Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
IMPOSSIBLE IS not A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY Girly MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO be a moron who cannot spell IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
can give every tech ONE GUARANTEE, if we do not vote the union in we will never gain any benefits. Comcast will never willfully give us any benefits to our gain. The only way to attain better than the shit we have now is to bargain. The only way to bargain is with a union. The choice is simple, work for shit, NO UNION. Gain benefits and wages, UNION.
June 12, 2008 11:42 PM
Anonymous said...
I'll address what I lost when Time Warner took over--
I lost seniority. I don't get paid what a TW worker of my experience and level of knowledge gets paid.
I lost a great benefits package. Heath, Vision, and Dental were TOP NOTCH and the envy of everyone (except verizon).
I lost a laid back work environment and got a bunch of dispatchers that now get a kick out of adding work to my que at the end of my shift.
I lost a sense of pride when all the promises about great change and better treatment by TW during the by out have taken years to materialize and when those changes do come, they are pennies compared to dollars.
I do enjoy my work, but I refuse to accept that this company CANNOT treat me better. I am not asking for the world, but this is not my FIRST rodeo, and at this rate it won't be my last.
I want a job that I can earn a wage to support a family, get good benefits from a large company that can afford to supply them, and one that I can progress and eventually retire from.
I guess if all these things are too much to ask, I should look elsewhere, but again I DON'T think these things are too much to ask.
June 13, 2008 11:36 AM
Anonymous said...
You don't have to look elsewhere to get decent wages and benfits, you just have to band together and join a union. The IBEW is trying to raise the standard of living of the cable companies. If we stand alone the company will just fuck us. why take away from management, if they can take away from the workers. United the company is forced to bargain in good faith. Getting better and wages might take a little time but without a union it will never happen. With a union at least we have a chance.
June 13, 2008 12:23 PM
Anonymous said...
if the whole state of maine sticks together it's going to be hard for them to give us shity contracts, besides those unions they were talking about that got shitty contracts what did they have for numbers?
June 13, 2008 6:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
June 13, 2008 10:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Please don't tell me you left a telephone job to join cable...you must have had to sell your home to pay the difference.
I'm guess your uncle's cousin's sisters fathers brother didn't like unions. But if you have specific examples please list them. Thanks.
June 14, 2008 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...
yeh we got it good 12 bucks an hour, gps babby sitting us, ass loads of work that's impossible to do right ( don't foget to pass q'c every wall plate must be compression haha) health insurance copays change when they feel like changing them,(go to the doctors and see how good are benefits are?) performce raise's that are less than the cost of living raise that your were promised to get that you didn't get so you really didn't get a raise at all? a qc policy that changes evey week that i still don't know but hey it only effects your raise at the end of the year, "i think this year i'm getting 32 cents" but if i come home after working 12 hours and not talk to my wife and kids i can study my ncti books for 2 months and get another 80 cents and hour for something they already expect me to do that i havent got paid for yet i can live just below poverty level, an my next raise will be in a year, wow i'm sure glad i get free cable my oil man loves it. "sorry can't pay the bill, but hey check out skinnamax at 11 it's great. yeh overall very happy i figured it out 40 miles a day with 20mpg = 1 buck more an hour to take my truck home, that's equal to the phone company's wage right? so overall 3 year service tech that gets paid 20 bucks an hour less that the phone company that has better equipment (buckets) than we do, and dosen't do television at all. yeh unions suck. i'll just keep dreaming about owning a house
June 14, 2008 10:51 PM
Anonymous said...
If Maint dealt with the same bullshit we did they would be for the union too. How about them getting a repeat on a line prob.... not them... how about sales... not them... how about a full board of time frames.... not them.... but let me see they have to fix an outage in 2 hours, big fucking deal. Most of the time your changing a fucking fuse in an amp....... Try rewiring a house in less than an hour because there are two more trouble calls in the same time frame, and oh yeah, sell them something on the way out. we put a ticket in they don't fix it, we go back get a repeat... not them.. we have to work in the rain.. not them.. they find a coffee shop to sit in till the rain stops.. we have 15 trouble calls. how about this one try knocking on a fucking door to fix a leak instead of padding and fleeing. you have no time frames we do. I don't want to hear you were on call and got called out at 2am, because you spend most of the day at home sleeping anyway so it shouldn't be a problem.
June 15, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
As a former tech now management I probably shouldn't write anything like this. But away from work I really support my guys and their union hopes. As a former installer, I would work long hours in the rain and snow and make just pennies on the dollar. I understand where you guys are coming from. Timewarner will stand to lose a lot of money on lawyers fighting this union stand. They will be forced to listing this time due to 300 workers voicing their opion on wages and unfair acts. Do you think I belive that these repeats really are fair? Do you think you guys are very underpaid compaired to phone? You were told that phone is a different bread of work thats why you dont get paid like they do. Has anyone looked into that we are the forth largest phone company in the USA? We are the least paid too. When wages are finally increased to industry standards, we the management will finally get a little compensation too. I know this. Good luck guys !!
June 15, 2008 5:22 PM
Anonymous said...
if you are mangement then change this bull shit and if you get a raise then give us one and if you think we are fairly compensated for our work then you are a suck pump. p.s fuck all you non-union dumbasses that are doing a skilled trade for shit pay when our company is making billions a quater "think about it use your head, there is a better life out there for us in this bussiness if we stick together, they can't replace numbers."
June 15, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
All a union can promise us is that they'll negotiate for us. Anyone here know what negotiate means? It means "we'll trade this for that". Or "do this or we'll strike". What do we have now that we're willing to trade? Trade low insurance premiums for higher wages? Maybe cut out the annual bonus program?
Don't think a union gets something for nothing - and how much will we be paying in dues?
What about the tech next to you that doesn't do his job right? He'll get the same raise we will, and if he was here before you were, he has seniority for everything ... better shifts, newer trucks etc.
Unless of course you "are" that tech that wants all those great things for less effort than the rest of us ... and what do you think our customer's will think of the new Time Warner? You think wait times are bad now? See what happens when every tech goes home after their strict 8 hour day.
And heaven forbid you actually rely on overtime like some of us - that goes to the senior tech also. Hope you didn't need those extra hours for an upcoming birthday, or Christmas.
Absolutely organize, absolutely ask questions, and absolutely be sure you know what you're getting into. Just be sure you're getting answers from the union, and not wishy-washy half-truths. If they answer your question with a question about TW - did they really answer you? It's just like politics these days, they won't tell you why they are great - they'll just try tell you why TW is bad.
I just want all of us to make an informed decision. No more "BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts". If your informed decision leads you to union representation, then vote that way. But the rest of us need to know that not voting is as good as voting "for" the union.
June 16, 2008 1:49 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
To the person who wrote about unions negotiating, and ot going to the senior tech and the lazy techs getting the same as you the harworking tech come to a meeting and we can discuss what is half true and what is not. What I think we can all agree on (see the Wall St Journal) is that the cable division of TW did very well last year thanks solely to the efforts of its dedicated workers. Do you feel that you received your fair share of the profits that YOU generated? I look forward to talking to you at the next meeting.
June 16, 2008 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
I DID, but since I didn't sign you you wouldn't know that. I made the long post about what I LOST when I BECAME Time Warner.
Personally I WANT to go home after 8hrs. We shouldn't have to get overtime to make a living wage. If you look at the "merit raises" we get now esentially everyone IS GETTING THE SAME RAISES now...3.9-4.0% a year. WOOOPIE!!! That doesn't even cover the cost of living. I don't care what our customers think of the "new Time Warner" they hate the Time Warner they already have. Should they have to wait 3 weeks for a service call? Probably not. Could Time Warner hire enough techs to get the job done instead of overworking the tech's they have? ABSOLUTELY.
I don't want OT. I don't want to work on call to change batteries in people remotes. I don't want to depend on overtime. I want to do my job, take the time it should take to complete it, be proud of it, and then go home to my beautiful family.
Like Steve says, come to a meeting and ask the questions. And then ask yourself if the "Power of You" might be worth more than you think it is.
June 16, 2008 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...
yeh just like you said you rely on overtime so that means for fairly compesated for your work? overtime isn't written in stone and if you can barley survive on 40 hours for climbing poles all day than somethings wrong, ours bodys are taking a beating for to little money.
June 16, 2008 5:49 PM
mm said...
i have worked at time warner for more than 27 years and in that time i have seen many good people treated poorly. now is the time to stand together and work together for a better future .
June 17, 2008 6:55 PM
Anonymous said...
27 years and for the union i bet this guy could awnser some questions about this companys tatics of unjust working conditions an regulations,
remember the next job the union could save could be yours, how confident are you time warner is for us the employee?
June 18, 2008 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...
?
June 19, 2008 9:31 PM
Anonymous said...
Research it i did union contracts 2 percent 2.5 percent raises , Time warner New York went union employees who were union had to fight for three years to get pension that non union workers had all long.( imagine you were to retire in those three years ) We have good benifits I know plenty people who struggle because they work for big companys with half what we have.
June 19, 2008 9:42 PM
Anonymous said...
the only question i have is how many members did those unions have? ("research it") the whole state is nothing to mess with power=numbers but you ad in how many miles of plant we have, replaced that! p.s what companys do your "people" work for "shoe" companies that can be shiped over seas. "we can't, fight for whats right because this sure the fuc* is not"
sincerly, one under paid tech that lives pay check to pay check, just to survive while living in an apartment, that tried to buy a house, that did not make enough to qualify to get a loan, for climbing poles allday,( wtih a ladder when they make better equipment to do the job(buckets, how cheap is this company, money over safety?) if you are non union i hope you are doing what you think is right because as former adelphia i have seen good people fired for bullshit reasons and if "dummy" dosen't like your awnsers he will look smart and pretend to know somethin about cable.
June 19, 2008 10:39 PM
Anonymous said...
OK, I get it now. This is "my opportunity to discuss my workplace issues".......as long as I agree with YOUR opinion.....otherwise I get attacked. You know, we all work here and see what really goes on. "Good people fired for bullshit reasons"???? Since when??? To quote you again from an earlier post: "I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts." Stick to the truth for a change and think about respecting other opinions than your own.
June 20, 2008 6:46 AM
Anonymous said...
I want one person to tell me what I have to lose in going Union.
I have talked with upper management of several companies in the Augusta and Gardiner areas that are not Union and I asked how they kept their employees happy.
A manager at a nationwide company with an office in Gardiner Maine stated that they filled out a job description for the desired position and went to the Department of Labor and asked what the average wages were for a job of that caliber. They then took that hourly rate and added 25 cents an hour to it. With their "career path" in place the economy recently accelerated and they began to lose employees while others became concerned, so they agreed to pay the existing employees more.
That company is NOT Union. They are a national company that deals with networking and troubleshooting on a level strikingly similar to ours. There is no reason that our company can't take similar actions and squash all talks of a Union.
I challenge anybody who reads this to go to the Department of Labor and see what the average wage is for a job of our caliber. We are in fact one of the largest phone companies in America.
And before anybody says it, I know I can go work for Fairpoint or whoever and make more, but I like my job and I like the people I work with. I enjoy working with customers on all levels, this job is exciting and challenging. I take pride in my work, I just want my company to take pride in me, and then I want them to show it with sincerity. And if they honestly can't increase my wages I'd just like to hear why.
I just want to be taken seriously, I have a family to look out for, as do most of you. It is not unreasonable for all of us to accept nothing but the best for those whom we care about.
June 20, 2008 8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
all i know is that after 8 hours is ot, if you work more than 13 hours a day the next day is paid off, double time on sundays, and free health insurance, also buckets instead of ladders, this is all from a company that dosen't offer as many products as we do, i heard throungh the great vine that they give there employees free dsl,a dish and free phone that we pay 20 bucks a month for? the reasons i'm hearing for people not for it is were going to lose benefits, there going to take "my" truck away, there going to take away my cable, no free clothes, the awnser is they can't take any thing away that is already in place.
June 20, 2008 9:09 PM
Anonymous said...
research it!!! if you think the union will get us double time on sundays ...bull... and your raise will be 2.5 or 2 percent a year stop crying i carry a ladder too. oh and i was able to buy a house ! if union could offer big lavish contracts they would produce examples of a contract they got in an other state .. but no havent seen that on any site have ya. you can pay some union dues iam not union noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
June 20, 2008 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Here's some stuff that I found when I did the research.
Oh...sorry to burst you bubble, but I got a mortgage approved too. Last time I checked, approval was primarily based on your credit history and current score. (FYI, I've been in IR for about two years.) So, unless you've been here substantially less than that, what we make was probably not the primary reason you were turned down....unless, of course, the house you wanted was just out of you price range. Anyway, check this stuff out. Nobody told me about this. Pro or Con...it looks like there's a lot of serious shit for us to consider here.
http://laborpains.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/owens-rosen-6-16-radio1.mp3
http://server1.laborpains.org/?p=867
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/union-is-misleading-consumers-hurting,440332.shtml
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/cardCheck.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/theProblem.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/unionMythsFromUnionMouths.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/crimeULLICO.cfm
While these sites all appear to be strongly opposed......the fact that these things are even in question is enough for me. My opinion counts, right?... or does it here on this blog? I'm confused. Can't say I'd enjoy being used as a pawn. Aaaaahhh,NO! I'm good, thanks. But, thanks for asking.
One more thing, BUCKETS FOR ALL??? That'll be really useful on the Old Port route. Can't wait to try finding a parking space for that!
June 21, 2008 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...
let me catch you two lock box heros from the big city up on some stuff so you can "think outside "your"box for a minute and understand why i as former adelphia feel this company is unjust.
1.) i've also have been in i/r for around 2 years and
can give every tech ONE GUARANTEE, if we do not vote the union in we will never gain any benefits. Comcast will never willfully give us any benefits to our gain. The only way to attain better than the shit we have now is to bargain. The only way to bargain is with a union. The choice is simple, work for shit, NO UNION. Gain benefits and wages, UNION.
June 12, 2008 11:42 PM
Anonymous said...
I'll address what I lost when Time Warner took over--
I lost seniority. I don't get paid what a TW worker of my experience and level of knowledge gets paid.
I lost a great benefits package. Heath, Vision, and Dental were TOP NOTCH and the envy of everyone (except verizon).
I lost a laid back work environment and got a bunch of dispatchers that now get a kick out of adding work to my que at the end of my shift.
I lost a sense of pride when all the promises about great change and better treatment by TW during the by out have taken years to materialize and when those changes do come, they are pennies compared to dollars.
I do enjoy my work, but I refuse to accept that this company CANNOT treat me better. I am not asking for the world, but this is not my FIRST rodeo, and at this rate it won't be my last.
I want a job that I can earn a wage to support a family, get good benefits from a large company that can afford to supply them, and one that I can progress and eventually retire from.
I guess if all these things are too much to ask, I should look elsewhere, but again I DON'T think these things are too much to ask.
June 13, 2008 11:36 AM
Anonymous said...
You don't have to look elsewhere to get decent wages and benfits, you just have to band together and join a union. The IBEW is trying to raise the standard of living of the cable companies. If we stand alone the company will just fuck us. why take away from management, if they can take away from the workers. United the company is forced to bargain in good faith. Getting better and wages might take a little time but without a union it will never happen. With a union at least we have a chance.
June 13, 2008 12:23 PM
Anonymous said...
if the whole state of maine sticks together it's going to be hard for them to give us shity contracts, besides those unions they were talking about that got shitty contracts what did they have for numbers?
June 13, 2008 6:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
June 13, 2008 10:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Please don't tell me you left a telephone job to join cable...you must have had to sell your home to pay the difference.
I'm guess your uncle's cousin's sisters fathers brother didn't like unions. But if you have specific examples please list them. Thanks.
June 14, 2008 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...
yeh we got it good 12 bucks an hour, gps babby sitting us, ass loads of work that's impossible to do right ( don't foget to pass q'c every wall plate must be compression haha) health insurance copays change when they feel like changing them,(go to the doctors and see how good are benefits are?) performce raise's that are less than the cost of living raise that your were promised to get that you didn't get so you really didn't get a raise at all? a qc policy that changes evey week that i still don't know but hey it only effects your raise at the end of the year, "i think this year i'm getting 32 cents" but if i come home after working 12 hours and not talk to my wife and kids i can study my ncti books for 2 months and get another 80 cents and hour for something they already expect me to do that i havent got paid for yet i can live just below poverty level, an my next raise will be in a year, wow i'm sure glad i get free cable my oil man loves it. "sorry can't pay the bill, but hey check out skinnamax at 11 it's great. yeh overall very happy i figured it out 40 miles a day with 20mpg = 1 buck more an hour to take my truck home, that's equal to the phone company's wage right? so overall 3 year service tech that gets paid 20 bucks an hour less that the phone company that has better equipment (buckets) than we do, and dosen't do television at all. yeh unions suck. i'll just keep dreaming about owning a house
June 14, 2008 10:51 PM
Anonymous said...
If Maint dealt with the same bullshit we did they would be for the union too. How about them getting a repeat on a line prob.... not them... how about sales... not them... how about a full board of time frames.... not them.... but let me see they have to fix an outage in 2 hours, big fucking deal. Most of the time your changing a fucking fuse in an amp....... Try rewiring a house in less than an hour because there are two more trouble calls in the same time frame, and oh yeah, sell them something on the way out. we put a ticket in they don't fix it, we go back get a repeat... not them.. we have to work in the rain.. not them.. they find a coffee shop to sit in till the rain stops.. we have 15 trouble calls. how about this one try knocking on a fucking door to fix a leak instead of padding and fleeing. you have no time frames we do. I don't want to hear you were on call and got called out at 2am, because you spend most of the day at home sleeping anyway so it shouldn't be a problem.
June 15, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
As a former tech now management I probably shouldn't write anything like this. But away from work I really support my guys and their union hopes. As a former installer, I would work long hours in the rain and snow and make just pennies on the dollar. I understand where you guys are coming from. Timewarner will stand to lose a lot of money on lawyers fighting this union stand. They will be forced to listing this time due to 300 workers voicing their opion on wages and unfair acts. Do you think I belive that these repeats really are fair? Do you think you guys are very underpaid compaired to phone? You were told that phone is a different bread of work thats why you dont get paid like they do. Has anyone looked into that we are the forth largest phone company in the USA? We are the least paid too. When wages are finally increased to industry standards, we the management will finally get a little compensation too. I know this. Good luck guys !!
June 15, 2008 5:22 PM
Anonymous said...
if you are mangement then change this bull shit and if you get a raise then give us one and if you think we are fairly compensated for our work then you are a suck pump. p.s fuck all you non-union dumbasses that are doing a skilled trade for shit pay when our company is making billions a quater "think about it use your head, there is a better life out there for us in this bussiness if we stick together, they can't replace numbers."
June 15, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
All a union can promise us is that they'll negotiate for us. Anyone here know what negotiate means? It means "we'll trade this for that". Or "do this or we'll strike". What do we have now that we're willing to trade? Trade low insurance premiums for higher wages? Maybe cut out the annual bonus program?
Don't think a union gets something for nothing - and how much will we be paying in dues?
What about the tech next to you that doesn't do his job right? He'll get the same raise we will, and if he was here before you were, he has seniority for everything ... better shifts, newer trucks etc.
Unless of course you "are" that tech that wants all those great things for less effort than the rest of us ... and what do you think our customer's will think of the new Time Warner? You think wait times are bad now? See what happens when every tech goes home after their strict 8 hour day.
And heaven forbid you actually rely on overtime like some of us - that goes to the senior tech also. Hope you didn't need those extra hours for an upcoming birthday, or Christmas.
Absolutely organize, absolutely ask questions, and absolutely be sure you know what you're getting into. Just be sure you're getting answers from the union, and not wishy-washy half-truths. If they answer your question with a question about TW - did they really answer you? It's just like politics these days, they won't tell you why they are great - they'll just try tell you why TW is bad.
I just want all of us to make an informed decision. No more "BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts". If your informed decision leads you to union representation, then vote that way. But the rest of us need to know that not voting is as good as voting "for" the union.
June 16, 2008 1:49 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
To the person who wrote about unions negotiating, and ot going to the senior tech and the lazy techs getting the same as you the harworking tech come to a meeting and we can discuss what is half true and what is not. What I think we can all agree on (see the Wall St Journal) is that the cable division of TW did very well last year thanks solely to the efforts of its dedicated workers. Do you feel that you received your fair share of the profits that YOU generated? I look forward to talking to you at the next meeting.
June 16, 2008 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
I DID, but since I didn't sign you you wouldn't know that. I made the long post about what I LOST when I BECAME Time Warner.
Personally I WANT to go home after 8hrs. We shouldn't have to get overtime to make a living wage. If you look at the "merit raises" we get now esentially everyone IS GETTING THE SAME RAISES now...3.9-4.0% a year. WOOOPIE!!! That doesn't even cover the cost of living. I don't care what our customers think of the "new Time Warner" they hate the Time Warner they already have. Should they have to wait 3 weeks for a service call? Probably not. Could Time Warner hire enough techs to get the job done instead of overworking the tech's they have? ABSOLUTELY.
I don't want OT. I don't want to work on call to change batteries in people remotes. I don't want to depend on overtime. I want to do my job, take the time it should take to complete it, be proud of it, and then go home to my beautiful family.
Like Steve says, come to a meeting and ask the questions. And then ask yourself if the "Power of You" might be worth more than you think it is.
June 16, 2008 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...
yeh just like you said you rely on overtime so that means for fairly compesated for your work? overtime isn't written in stone and if you can barley survive on 40 hours for climbing poles all day than somethings wrong, ours bodys are taking a beating for to little money.
June 16, 2008 5:49 PM
mm said...
i have worked at time warner for more than 27 years and in that time i have seen many good people treated poorly. now is the time to stand together and work together for a better future .
June 17, 2008 6:55 PM
Anonymous said...
27 years and for the union i bet this guy could awnser some questions about this companys tatics of unjust working conditions an regulations,
remember the next job the union could save could be yours, how confident are you time warner is for us the employee?
June 18, 2008 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...
?
June 19, 2008 9:31 PM
Anonymous said...
Research it i did union contracts 2 percent 2.5 percent raises , Time warner New York went union employees who were union had to fight for three years to get pension that non union workers had all long.( imagine you were to retire in those three years ) We have good benifits I know plenty people who struggle because they work for big companys with half what we have.
June 19, 2008 9:42 PM
Anonymous said...
the only question i have is how many members did those unions have? ("research it") the whole state is nothing to mess with power=numbers but you ad in how many miles of plant we have, replaced that! p.s what companys do your "people" work for "shoe" companies that can be shiped over seas. "we can't, fight for whats right because this sure the fuc* is not"
sincerly, one under paid tech that lives pay check to pay check, just to survive while living in an apartment, that tried to buy a house, that did not make enough to qualify to get a loan, for climbing poles allday,( wtih a ladder when they make better equipment to do the job(buckets, how cheap is this company, money over safety?) if you are non union i hope you are doing what you think is right because as former adelphia i have seen good people fired for bullshit reasons and if "dummy" dosen't like your awnsers he will look smart and pretend to know somethin about cable.
June 19, 2008 10:39 PM
Anonymous said...
OK, I get it now. This is "my opportunity to discuss my workplace issues".......as long as I agree with YOUR opinion.....otherwise I get attacked. You know, we all work here and see what really goes on. "Good people fired for bullshit reasons"???? Since when??? To quote you again from an earlier post: "I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts." Stick to the truth for a change and think about respecting other opinions than your own.
June 20, 2008 6:46 AM
Anonymous said...
I want one person to tell me what I have to lose in going Union.
I have talked with upper management of several companies in the Augusta and Gardiner areas that are not Union and I asked how they kept their employees happy.
A manager at a nationwide company with an office in Gardiner Maine stated that they filled out a job description for the desired position and went to the Department of Labor and asked what the average wages were for a job of that caliber. They then took that hourly rate and added 25 cents an hour to it. With their "career path" in place the economy recently accelerated and they began to lose employees while others became concerned, so they agreed to pay the existing employees more.
That company is NOT Union. They are a national company that deals with networking and troubleshooting on a level strikingly similar to ours. There is no reason that our company can't take similar actions and squash all talks of a Union.
I challenge anybody who reads this to go to the Department of Labor and see what the average wage is for a job of our caliber. We are in fact one of the largest phone companies in America.
And before anybody says it, I know I can go work for Fairpoint or whoever and make more, but I like my job and I like the people I work with. I enjoy working with customers on all levels, this job is exciting and challenging. I take pride in my work, I just want my company to take pride in me, and then I want them to show it with sincerity. And if they honestly can't increase my wages I'd just like to hear why.
I just want to be taken seriously, I have a family to look out for, as do most of you. It is not unreasonable for all of us to accept nothing but the best for those whom we care about.
June 20, 2008 8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
all i know is that after 8 hours is ot, if you work more than 13 hours a day the next day is paid off, double time on sundays, and free health insurance, also buckets instead of ladders, this is all from a company that dosen't offer as many products as we do, i heard throungh the great vine that they give there employees free dsl,a dish and free phone that we pay 20 bucks a month for? the reasons i'm hearing for people not for it is were going to lose benefits, there going to take "my" truck away, there going to take away my cable, no free clothes, the awnser is they can't take any thing away that is already in place.
June 20, 2008 9:09 PM
Anonymous said...
research it!!! if you think the union will get us double time on sundays ...bull... and your raise will be 2.5 or 2 percent a year stop crying i carry a ladder too. oh and i was able to buy a house ! if union could offer big lavish contracts they would produce examples of a contract they got in an other state .. but no havent seen that on any site have ya. you can pay some union dues iam not union noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
June 20, 2008 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Here's some stuff that I found when I did the research.
Oh...sorry to burst you bubble, but I got a mortgage approved too. Last time I checked, approval was primarily based on your credit history and current score. (FYI, I've been in IR for about two years.) So, unless you've been here substantially less than that, what we make was probably not the primary reason you were turned down....unless, of course, the house you wanted was just out of you price range. Anyway, check this stuff out. Nobody told me about this. Pro or Con...it looks like there's a lot of serious shit for us to consider here.
http://laborpains.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/owens-rosen-6-16-radio1.mp3
http://server1.laborpains.org/?p=867
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/union-is-misleading-consumers-hurting,440332.shtml
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/cardCheck.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/theProblem.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/unionMythsFromUnionMouths.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/crimeULLICO.cfm
While these sites all appear to be strongly opposed......the fact that these things are even in question is enough for me. My opinion counts, right?... or does it here on this blog? I'm confused. Can't say I'd enjoy being used as a pawn. Aaaaahhh,NO! I'm good, thanks. But, thanks for asking.
One more thing, BUCKETS FOR ALL??? That'll be really useful on the Old Port route. Can't wait to try finding a parking space for that!
June 21, 2008 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...
let me catch you two lock box heros from the big city up on some stuff so you can "think outside "your"box for a minute and understand why i as former adelphia feel this company is unjust.
1.) i've also have been in i/r for around 2 years and
BORING!!!!!!!
This site Is Lame
The Time has come!
May 30, 2008 10:50 AM
Anonymous said...
Time for what?
May 30, 2008 2:17 PM
Anonymous said...
The time has really come for this company to listen to us. Now that Timewarner has bought all the Adelphia properties in this area, we now have a lot more unhappy workers to stand behind us. We need to all stand together and we will see a better future become of this. Just ask my friends from fairpoint how they like their job, pay and benefits.
May 30, 2008 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.comcastworkersunited.com/
We are not the only ones going through this..
May 30, 2008 7:46 PM
Anonymous said...
do want to end being the some of the lowest paid in the industry?
do you want to end being responsible for repeats beyond your control?
do you want to end unreasonable workloads?
do you want to bring safety practices to a dangerous job?
would you like to retire some day with a pension so you could enjoy your retirement?
would you like a voice in your workplace?
would you like to get the respect you deserve?
if we stand together we will have an opportunity to work towards all these things.
The Time for change has come!
May 31, 2008 8:36 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiA8V248WMM
May 31, 2008 9:58 PM
Anonymous said...
TOP 10 UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
#1. Your employer has no right to cause interference with the employee's right to decide whether or not they wish to have a union representing them.
#2. An employer can not interfere with the unions internal affairs. In general an employer should remain neutral during any organizing campaign.
#3. Meetings with the employee's as a captive audience, cannot be used by their employer as a forum or opportunity to criticize the union.
#4. An employer interferes with the affairs of a trade union when it prohibits the wearing of union pins in the work place.
#5. An employer initiating petition for employees to withdraw their support of a union is also deemed as interference and not allowed.
#6. Any employers communications with employees must concern business affairs and not unionization.
#7. Comments like "the employees would be better off without a union" amounts to interference and is not allowed under the law.
#8. An employer cannot issue a bulletin to employees that sends an implicit message that employees can obtain a wage increase without a union.
#9. An employer cannot say:
a) union representation will not benefit the employees
b) employees may speak about the subject with employer
representatives
c) there will be serious consequences for the company if you go
union
#10. An employer who promises that conditions would improve if they did not unionize would be conducting an unfair labor practice. An employer must remain neutral during an organizing campaign.
May 31, 2008 10:09 PM
Anonymous said...
What about a Union promising things will improve if they unionize? How could you know that?
June 1, 2008 1:17 AM
Anonymous said...
Do you think anything will ever improve without one. Over many years served to this company, nothing has ever changed, only got worse. Unions wont change anything overnight, but its a start to addressing our problems. Unions arent for every company, but now we have some numbers with the all the offices combined. Look at CMP or Fairpoint/Verizon. Do you think they like their unions with their good beneift and awesome pay. You make so much less than the phone company employees, why ? we do phone too. And Timewarner loves to pay us like cable guys..Many of us think its time for a change.
June 1, 2008 8:34 AM
massachussetes comcast tech said...
This is a new age. I work for Comcast, the beggest cable company in the country. I did not begin my career in cable with this cheap greedy company, i started with medis-one. Let me tell you the bigger these companies get the worse they get. We had a pension until Comcast came to town, this was there first order of business..bye bye pension. and over the years the bigger this company has gotten the more they take. Comcast is making profits hand over fist, and yet every year we lose a little more. Stop beleiving these anti-union idiots who say we will get nothing with a union, because its a lie. Lets stand united, we here at comcast are signing the cards, more so than i've ever seen before. Organizing the whole cable industry will benefit all of us, driving up pay rates and benefits. Don't be a fool sign the cards as we are doing, lets get this union push going. It's the only way we will have a chance in these ever expanding big companies who do nothing more than take from the hard working employees. I feel your pain. The brown nosers and management are watching us and reporting everything we do. We are trying to be secretive about it. Try and do the same get the cards signed and lets finaly raise the standard of living for cable workers accross the country...
June 1, 2008 10:29 AM
Anonymous said...
I hope that you unhappy guys are a minority.If things are so bad in the cable industry why did you choose to work here?I think the unions are full of crap!!!
June 1, 2008 11:00 AM
massachussetes comcast tech said...
We chose to work in the cable industry before these corporate takeovers. The bigger the companies grew the worse it became. again i started in Media-One. this was a smaller company that gave its workers some respect. The bigger the company gets the worse it gets.
VOTE IN THE UNION.. WE NEED IT FOR A BETTER FUTURE
June 1, 2008 11:19 AM
Anonymous said...
the union promises only one thing;
the opportunity to bring about change. if you do nothing nothing will change
June 1, 2008 11:55 AM
Anonymous said...
If you do nothing the Company will just take at will, they do not care about anyone except for there bottom line. Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits.
June 6, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
"Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits."
Except for the locations that are working to do away with the union.
June 6, 2008 8:50 PM
Anonymous said...
I can see you have a slow start. This is great place to get your points accross. Alot of helpful post on the comcast blogspot.
http://www.comcastworkersfightback.blogspot.com/
check it out, we all have the same issues.
June 7, 2008 8:10 AM
Anonymous said...
Wow...I was hoping there would be an outpouring of PISSED OFF'ED NESS here. Time Warner makes big promises, makes big profits, and keeps the money in the top 10% of the company.
To the asshat who said we should just work somewhere else...well we actually like our jobs, we're good at our jobs, and if we were making what YOU are with YOUR benefits, we'd be happy as pigs in shit.
With a Union you have to ask yourself... 1. can it possibly get any worse? 2. How hard to I have to work before I feel appreciated and compensated?
We're all in the same boat. Let's row to a better future for all of us!
June 8, 2008 10:16 PM
Anonymous said...
quote:
"Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits."
Except for the locations that are working to do away with the union.
June 6, 2008 8:50 PM
Well I don't exactly see a whole lot of those anywhere. Why would you give up the only control and bargaining power you have? This company is made on OUR BACKS, OUR SWEAT, OUR BLOOD, and we aren't even authorized to stop work in hurricane winds, lightning storms, and severe snow. Have you checked your medical benefits lately? They changed our good coverage after their mandatory audit, and gave us back crap. You can be guaranteed that all other utilities pay less, and get MORE!
Let's get this DONE!
June 9, 2008 2:06 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
For anyone who may have questions about forming a union,or questions on what a union may have to offer, or what protection under the law you have while gaining the information you need in order to make an informed decision on the future for you and your family then attend a meeting and ask those questions. Remember your right to attend a meeting is protected by the law and that it is illegal for a company to spy or send some one to spy for them to such a meeting. You have rights!
June 10, 2008 8:03 PM
Anonymous said...
There are three COMPANIES working from the same pole. theres the power company, the cable company, then the phone company. Which one gets paid the least? Which one has to pay for medical (ie more every year to boot)? Mr. I want to see a better contract, answer those questions. As a matter of fact, let all the anti-union people anwser those questions. We do the same job for less pay and we are the only one not represented by a union. Wake up. Your arguement would have validity if we made more than them but we don't.
WHAT DO I NEED A PENSION, PAY AND HEALTH INSURANCE FOR, I HAVE FREE CABLE AND A TRUCK !!!!!!!!!
AND BY THE WAY I DID NOT APPLY TO Timewarner I APPLIED TO Adelphia SO STOP TELLING ME I HAD A CHOICE. THIS CHEAP I DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT MY EMPLOYEES FUTURE COMPANY CAME IN AND STARTED TAKING IMMEDIATELY..... Maine IS READY TO SIGN THE CARDS
SIGNED A PISSED OFF Timewarner TECH.
June 11, 2008 8:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey A PISSED OFF Timewarner TECH tell me what you lost when time warner took over so Maybe I can be pissed too.I thought TW treated me pretty good so tell me what I,m missing out on.
June 12, 2008 6:11 PM
Anonymous said...
I agree that we all need to be heard, I also think that nobody expects to be given something for nothing. All I want is for my opinion to matter. We all should be proud of our jobs and our company should be proud of US! If we are continually treated unfairly a union may be a step in the right direction, I would just like to see some examples. Recently our shop was told of poor contracts for Time Warner and I for one would just like to see what a typical contract consists of, be it good or bad. If anybody has any idea where I would be able to find this let me know here, I'll check back often.
I just hope everybody knows its your right, and in my opinion obligation, to make an informed decision thats right for you and your family. Nobody should make any decision without all the information they can get.
June 12, 2008 8:59 PM
under paid cable tech said...
This applies to my brothers over at TIMEWARNER
I can give every tech ONE GUARANTEE, if we do not vote the union in we will never gain any benefits. Comcast will never willfully give us any benefits to our gain. The only way to attain better than the shit we have now is to bargain. The only way to bargain is with a union. The choice is simple, work for shit, NO UNION. Gain benefits and wages, UNION.
June 12, 2008 11:42 PM
Anonymous said...
I'll address what I lost when Time Warner took over--
I lost seniority. I don't get paid what a TW worker of my experience and level of knowledge gets paid.
I lost a great benefits package. Heath, Vision, and Dental were TOP NOTCH and the envy of everyone (except verizon).
I lost a laid back work environment and got a bunch of dispatchers that now get a kick out of adding work to my que at the end of my shift.
I lost a sense of pride when all the promises about great change and better treatment by TW during the by out have taken years to materialize and when those changes do come, they are pennies compared to dollars.
I do enjoy my work, but I refuse to accept that this company CANNOT treat me better. I am not asking for the world, but this is not my FIRST rodeo, and at this rate it won't be my last.
I want a job that I can earn a wage to support a family, get good benefits from a large company that can afford to supply them, and one that I can progress and eventually retire from.
I guess if all these things are too much to ask, I should look elsewhere, but again I DON'T think these things are too much to ask.
June 13, 2008 11:36 AM
Anonymous said...
You don't have to look elsewhere to get decent wages and benfits, you just have to band together and join a union. The IBEW is trying to raise the standard of living of the cable companies. If we stand alone the company will just fuck us. why take away from management, if they can take away from the workers. United the company is forced to bargain in good faith. Getting better and wages might take a little time but without a union it will never happen. With a union at least we have a chance.
June 13, 2008 12:23 PM
Anonymous said...
if the whole state of maine sticks together it's going to be hard for them to give us shity contracts, besides those unions they were talking about that got shitty contracts what did they have for numbers?
June 13, 2008 6:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
June 13, 2008 10:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Please don't tell me you left a telephone job to join cable...you must have had to sell your home to pay the difference.
I'm guess your uncle's cousin's sisters fathers brother didn't like unions. But if you have specific examples please list them. Thanks.
June 14, 2008 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...
yeh we got it good 12 bucks an hour, gps babby sitting us, ass loads of work that's impossible to do right ( don't foget to pass q'c every wall plate must be compression haha) health insurance copays change when they feel like changing them,(go to the doctors and see how good are benefits are?) performce raise's that are less than the cost of living raise that your were promised to get that you didn't get so you really didn't get a raise at all? a qc policy that changes evey week that i still don't know but hey it only effects your raise at the end of the year, "i think this year i'm getting 32 cents" but if i come home after working 12 hours and not talk to my wife and kids i can study my ncti books for 2 months and get another 80 cents and hour for something they already expect me to do that i havent got paid for yet i can live just below poverty level, an my next raise will be in a year, wow i'm sure glad i get free cable my oil man loves it. "sorry can't pay the bill, but hey check out skinnamax at 11 it's great. yeh overall very happy i figured it out 40 miles a day with 20mpg = 1 buck more an hour to take my truck home, that's equal to the phone company's wage right? so overall 3 year service tech that gets paid 20 bucks an hour less that the phone company that has better equipment (buckets) than we do, and dosen't do television at all. yeh unions suck. i'll just keep dreaming about owning a house
June 14, 2008 10:51 PM
Anonymous said...
If Maint dealt with the same bullshit we did they would be for the union too. How about them getting a repeat on a line prob.... not them... how about sales... not them... how about a full board of time frames.... not them.... but let me see they have to fix an outage in 2 hours, big fucking deal. Most of the time your changing a fucking fuse in an amp....... Try rewiring a house in less than an hour because there are two more trouble calls in the same time frame, and oh yeah, sell them something on the way out. we put a ticket in they don't fix it, we go back get a repeat... not them.. we have to work in the rain.. not them.. they find a coffee shop to sit in till the rain stops.. we have 15 trouble calls. how about this one try knocking on a fucking door to fix a leak instead of padding and fleeing. you have no time frames we do. I don't want to hear you were on call and got called out at 2am, because you spend most of the day at home sleeping anyway so it shouldn't be a problem.
June 15, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
As a former tech now management I probably shouldn't write anything like this. But away from work I really support my guys and their union hopes. As a former installer, I would work long hours in the rain and snow and make just pennies on the dollar. I understand where you guys are coming from. Timewarner will stand to lose a lot of money on lawyers fighting this union stand. They will be forced to listing this time due to 300 workers voicing their opion on wages and unfair acts. Do you think I belive that these repeats really are fair? Do you think you guys are very underpaid compaired to phone? You were told that phone is a different bread of work thats why you dont get paid like they do. Has anyone looked into that we are the forth largest phone company in the USA? We are the least paid too. When wages are finally increased to industry standards, we the management will finally get a little compensation too. I know this. Good luck guys !!
June 15, 2008 5:22 PM
Anonymous said...
if you are mangement then change this bull shit and if you get a raise then give us one and if you think we are fairly compensated for our work then you are a suck pump. p.s fuck all you non-union dumbasses that are doing a skilled trade for shit pay when our company is making billions a quater "think about it use your head, there is a better life out there for us in this bussiness if we stick together, they can't replace numbers."
June 15, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
All a union can promise us is that they'll negotiate for us. Anyone here know what negotiate means? It means "we'll trade this for that". Or "do this or we'll strike". What do we have now that we're willing to trade? Trade low insurance premiums for higher wages? Maybe cut out the annual bonus program?
Don't think a union gets something for nothing - and how much will we be paying in dues?
What about the tech next to you that doesn't do his job right? He'll get the same raise we will, and if he was here before you were, he has seniority for everything ... better shifts, newer trucks etc.
Unless of course you "are" that tech that wants all those great things for less effort than the rest of us ... and what do you think our customer's will think of the new Time Warner? You think wait times are bad now? See what happens when every tech goes home after their strict 8 hour day.
And heaven forbid you actually rely on overtime like some of us - that goes to the senior tech also. Hope you didn't need those extra hours for an upcoming birthday, or Christmas.
Absolutely organize, absolutely ask questions, and absolutely be sure you know what you're getting into. Just be sure you're getting answers from the union, and not wishy-washy half-truths. If they answer your question with a question about TW - did they really answer you? It's just like politics these days, they won't tell you why they are great - they'll just try tell you why TW is bad.
I just want all of us to make an informed decision. No more "BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts". If your informed decision leads you to union representation, then vote that way. But the rest of us need to know that not voting is as good as voting "for" the union.
June 16, 2008 1:49 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
To the person who wrote about unions negotiating, and ot going to the senior tech and the lazy techs getting the same as you the harworking tech come to a meeting and we can discuss what is half true and what is not. What I think we can all agree on (see the Wall St Journal) is that the cable division of TW did very well last year thanks solely to the efforts of its dedicated workers. Do you feel that you received your fair share of the profits that YOU generated? I look forward to talking to you at the next meeting.
June 16, 2008 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
I DID, but since I didn't sign you you wouldn't know that. I made the long post about what I LOST when I BECAME Time Warner.
Personally I WANT to go home after 8hrs. We shouldn't have to get overtime to make a living wage. If you look at the "merit raises" we get now esentially everyone IS GETTING THE SAME RAISES now...3.9-4.0% a year. WOOOPIE!!! That doesn't even cover the cost of living. I don't care what our customers think of the "new Time Warner" they hate the Time Warner they already have. Should they have to wait 3 weeks for a service call? Probably not. Could Time Warner hire enough techs to get the job done instead of overworking the tech's they have? ABSOLUTELY.
I don't want OT. I don't want to work on call to change batteries in people remotes. I don't want to depend on overtime. I want to do my job, take the time it should take to complete it, be proud of it, and then go home to my beautiful family.
Like Steve says, come to a meeting and ask the questions. And then ask yourself if the "Power of You" might be worth more than you think it is.
June 16, 2008 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...
yeh just like you said you rely on overtime so that means for fairly compesated for your work? overtime isn't written in stone and if you can barley survive on 40 hours for climbing poles all day than somethings wrong, ours bodys are taking a beating for to little money.
June 16, 2008 5:49 PM
mm said...
i have worked at time warner for more than 27 years and in that time i have seen many good people treated poorly. now is the time to stand together and work together for a better future .
June 17, 2008 6:55 PM
Anonymous said...
27 years and for the union i bet this guy could awnser some questions about this companys tatics of unjust working conditions an regulations,
remember the next job the union could save could be yours, how confident are you time warner is for us the employee?
June 18, 2008 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...
?
June 19, 2008 9:31 PM
Anonymous said...
Research it i did union contracts 2 percent 2.5 percent raises , Time warner New York went union employees who were union had to fight for three years to get pension that non union workers had all long.( imagine you were to retire in those three years ) We have good benifits I know plenty people who struggle because they work for big companys with half what we have.
June 19, 2008 9:42 PM
Anonymous said...
the only question i have is how many members did those unions have? ("research it") the whole state is nothing to mess with power=numbers but you ad in how many miles of plant we have, replaced that! p.s what companys do your "people" work for "shoe" companies that can be shiped over seas. "we can't, fight for whats right because this sure the fuc* is not"
sincerly, one under paid tech that lives pay check to pay check, just to survive while living in an apartment, that tried to buy a house, that did not make enough to qualify to get a loan, for climbing poles allday,( wtih a ladder when they make better equipment to do the job(buckets, how cheap is this company, money over safety?) if you are non union i hope you are doing what you think is right because as former adelphia i have seen good people fired for bullshit reasons and if "dummy" dosen't like your awnsers he will look smart and pretend to know somethin about cable.
June 19, 2008 10:39 PM
Anonymous said...
OK, I get it now. This is "my opportunity to discuss my workplace issues".......as long as I agree with YOUR opinion.....otherwise I get attacked. You know, we all work here and see what really goes on. "Good people fired for bullshit reasons"???? Since when??? To quote you again from an earlier post: "I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts." Stick to the truth for a change and think about respecting other opinions than your own.
June 20, 2008 6:46 AM
Anonymous said...
I want one person to tell me what I have to lose in going Union.
I have talked with upper management of several companies in the Augusta and Gardiner areas that are not Union and I asked how they kept their employees happy.
A manager at a nationwide company with an office in Gardiner Maine stated that they filled out a job description for the desired position and went to the Department of Labor and asked what the average wages were for a job of that caliber. They then took that hourly rate and added 25 cents an hour to it. With their "career path" in place the economy recently accelerated and they began to lose employees while others became concerned, so they agreed to pay the existing employees more.
That company is NOT Union. They are a national company that deals with networking and troubleshooting on a level strikingly similar to ours. There is no reason that our company can't take similar actions and squash all talks of a Union.
I challenge anybody who reads this to go to the Department of Labor and see what the average wage is for a job of our caliber. We are in fact one of the largest phone companies in America.
And before anybody says it, I know I can go work for Fairpoint or whoever and make more, but I like my job and I like the people I work with. I enjoy working with customers on all levels, this job is exciting and challenging. I take pride in my work, I just want my company to take pride in me, and then I want them to show it with sincerity. And if they honestly can't increase my wages I'd just like to hear why.
I just want to be taken seriously, I have a family to look out for, as do most of you. It is not unreasonable for all of us to accept nothing but the best for those whom we care about.
June 20, 2008 8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
all i know is that after 8 hours is ot, if you work more than 13 hours a day the next day is paid off, double time on sundays, and free health insurance, also buckets instead of ladders, this is all from a company that dosen't offer as many products as we do, i heard throungh the great vine that they give there employees free dsl,a dish and free phone that we pay 20 bucks a month for? the reasons i'm hearing for people not for it is were going to lose benefits, there going to take "my" truck away, there going to take away my cable, no free clothes, the awnser is they can't take any thing away that is already in place.
June 20, 2008 9:09 PM
Anonymous said...
research it!!! if you think the union will get us double time on sundays ...bull... and your raise will be 2.5 or 2 percent a year stop crying i carry a ladder too. oh and i was able to buy a house ! if union could offer big lavish contracts they would produce examples of a contract they got in an other state .. but no havent seen that on any site have ya. you can pay some union dues iam not union noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
June 20, 2008 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Here's some stuff that I found when I did the research.
Oh...sorry to burst you bubble, but I got a mortgage approved too. Last time I checked, approval was primarily based on your credit history and current score. (FYI, I've been in IR for about two years.) So, unless you've been here substantially less than that, what we make was probably not the primary reason you were turned down....unless, of course, the house you wanted was just out of you price range. Anyway, check this stuff out. Nobody told me about this. Pro or Con...it looks like there's a lot of serious shit for us to consider here.
http://laborpains.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/owens-rosen-6-16-radio1.mp3
http://server1.laborpains.org/?p=867
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/union-is-misleading-consumers-hurting,440332.shtml
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/cardCheck.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/theProblem.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/unionMythsFromUnionMouths.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/crimeULLICO.cfm
While these sites all appear to be strongly opposed......the fact that these things are even in question is enough for me. My opinion counts, right?... or does it here on this blog? I'm confused. Can't say I'd enjoy being used as a pawn. Aaaaahhh,NO! I'm good, thanks. But, thanks for asking.
One more thing, BUCKETS FOR ALL??? That'll be really useful on the Old Port route. Can't wait to try finding a parking space for that!
June 21, 2008 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...
let me catch you two lock box heros from the big city up on some stuff so you can "think outside "your"box for a minute and understand why i as former adelphia feel this company is unjust.
1.) i've also have been in i/r for around 2 years and i have got a total of 38 cents in those 2 years
2.) "the career path" we just got after not having any raises in a little over a year and a half so everything was idle.
3) when portland got there christmas bonus we did not
4)we were promised to get retro paid for the cost of living raise, we did'nt,actually we never got one.
5.)workload haha never mine i won't go there.
June 21, 2008 6:04 PM
Anonymous said...
wow i/r for 2 years and you bought a house? wify must have a good job?
June 21, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
some of you need to realize that we are all aboard the same boat here, and whoever listed the links to the "unionfacts" should be aware that it is indeed an anti-union website and that OFCOURSE the stats will not be favorable.
if you honestly believe you are being treated well you must be fresh out of high school and living in your parents house.
at our current wage and slow level of raises and advancement this company needs to decide if they want to replace workers every year or two or keep ones with skill and talent. i am not making a wage greater than someone working at Wendys. i do have more skills, more education, more hazards in my job, but the pay is the same.
therein lies the problem. we need to stop pointing fingers at each other and start pointing them at TWC and ask them "Do you really want me to stay here?"
right now the union is the only recourse we have, as this company has shown through its actions and policies that they have little regard for our well being, both physical, and fiscal.
to the new kids whose bodies don't hurt every morning getting up, and think making $12/hr is great and don't use their health benefits, aren't married, because you're still young and healthy,and don't have kids to support, don't for one minute think you will feel this way 10 years from now.
now is the time to secure a better future for us all.
June 26, 2008 3:31 AM
Anonymous said...
To the pension guy...
You realize what $10,000/year will be worth in 25-30 years (the amount of time before most of us retire) and this is the current pension plan we have.
Toilet paper
June 26, 2008 3:36 AM
Anonymous said...
Finding a place to park my bucket...
now that's a problem i wish i had.
Maybe the old port guys could be issued a moped then if parking is the issue (i'm joking here we need to stop the infighting between the "big city" guys and the guys climbing the big sticks. you "city guys" know you're still making more money than us right?)
June 26, 2008 3:41 AM
DJ said...
Check out the link below to get the low-down on Richard Berman, the founder of unionfacts.com
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/center-for-union-facts/lifting-the-veil-on-richard-berman.html
June 26, 2008 10:41 AM
Comment deleted
This post has been removed by the author.
June 26, 2008 10:41 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html
June 26, 2008 6:03 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/
the-anti-union-network/
chamber-of-commerce/
coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html
June 26, 2008 6:04 PM
John said...
Whats goin on here?
June 26, 2008 7:47 PM
Anonymous said...
Im glad to see that I got my anti union paper work in the mail tonight from timewarner. They do not understand that this will hurt them more than us. We all need to stick together for the hard times to come very soon. But in the end we will be so better off. People should know that this will not be a quick fix, but instead a look to our future. We are all here because we like what we do and want to make this our career not just a job.
June 26, 2008 8:51 PM
brent marr said...
by now most of us have gotten the threating letter from time warner . this is the same scare tactics that took place in 2002 when we were trying to form a union . improvements were made along with promises . as the months went by the improvements faded away and the promises were forgoten . dont be fooled by timewarners sudden intrest in our work place problems . they are only trying to stop our unionizing efforts. in 2002 we had people in managment jobs that thought that we were justifyed in forming a union but were forced to speak out against our union efforts . a company that pays its ceo s in the millions and counts its profits in the billions can and should treat all of us much better . we will need to stick together and work together to gain improvements in our jobs . i have been to 8-10 union meetings so far and look foward to talking to more of my coworkers about how we can work together to gain improvements in our jobs . yes i am the 27 year guy .
June 27, 2008 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...
union no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hopefully people dont ruin Time Warner Maine by bringing in a union .Those who want it never worked in one before!I have its terrible. 7 year installer
June 28, 2008 12:20 AM
SNOW HOUSE: Hardy Girls Healthy Women in Waterville invited girls from second to sixth grade to participate in an igloo-building workshop as part of the Adventure Girls Series at Waterville Junior High School on Saturday. From left to right are Siena Fitzpatrick, 12, of Winslow, Kayla Begin, 8, of Oakland and Katie Sypher, 12, of Orono. Close to 40 girls from across Maine participated in the workshop, which ran twice on Saturday. Waterville Junior High School Assistant Principal Kristen Gilbert taught classes on safety and techniques of building igloos before allowing the girls to work on two igloos at the school.
HOSPITAL BUDGETS PINCHED Proposed funding reductions in Baldacci spending plan may lead to hard choices
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SLIPPERY: This vehicle rolled over onto the roof and landed in a ditch along the North Vassalboro Road in China near Route 3 as snow began to cover the road on Friday. Police did not know the names of the victims or extent of any injuries. Staff photos by Andy Molloy
WRESTLING MATCHES: At left, Erskine Academy's Kyle Pooler, top, presses against Medomak Valley'ss Cheyenne Augustine. On right, Monmouth's Cody Guzman, top, has Brian Sweeney under wraps Wednesday in South China. Staff photo by Joe Phelan
LIBBY TAKES GAVEL: Senators Earle McCormick, R-West Gardiner, left, and Douglas Smith, R-Dover Foxcroft, right, cheer after Sen. Libby Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, center, was elected Senate President. Mitchell represents Senate District 24 of which China is part of. See story. Staff photo by Joe Phelan
TAKING IT TO THE HOLE: The Erskine Academy Eagles hosted the Winslow Black Raiders for an early season boys basketball game on Dec. 16, 2008. The Eagles won 39-31. See roundup.
Top stories from China
China answering subdivision lawsuit
[January 9, 2009]
Man sentenced for robbery
[January 8, 2009]
China to decide 5 questions and eye $2M budget
[January 7, 2009]
6-7 center helps sink Erskine
[January 3, 2009]
TALL ORDER
[January 3, 2009]
BRIEFS
[January 1, 2009]
Old conflict restarts at China dam
[December 27, 2008]
CHINA Utility sparks China Lake water-level debate
[December 27, 2008]
CHINA School panel, spending to be decided
[December 24, 2008]
CHINA School panel, budget on ballot
[December 24, 2008]
More news: China stories from past 3 weeks
China Lake
Catch a China Lake lunker? Send us a photo
Fishing depth maps, angling info.
About China lake
China photos wanted
Send us a photo from China. If we use it on the home page, we'll send you a coupon for a free rental at Movie Gallery. Photos should be high quality images that reflect the community and be in .jpg format and be no smaller than 600 pixels. Photos must be sent via e-mail along with mailing address and phone number.
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Weather
Today's Weather:
Augusta, Maine (Airport)
Updated: 8:53 PM EST on January 11, 2009
8 °F
Clear
See Detailed Forecast >>
When storms hit Maine, we have cancellations, delays and parking bans.
Produced with News 8 WMTW
Forecast for China area for China
Athletics schedules
Boys basketball
Jan. 2 Maranacook 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 at Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 Camden Hills 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Rockland 7 p.m.
Jan. 12 at Waterville 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 Belfast 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 Oak Hill 7 p.m.
Girls basketball
Jan. 2 at Maranacook 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 6 Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Camden 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 Rockland 1 p.m.
Jan. 12 Waterville 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Belfast 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Oak Hill 6:30 p.m.
Wrestling
Jan. 3 at Medomak 10 a.m.
Jan. 7 at Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Gardiner 10 a.m.
Jan. 14 Nokomis 6 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Brewer 10 a.m.
Jan. 19 at Winslow TBA
Swimming
Jan. 9 at Gardiner 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Edward Little 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Erskine 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 Winslow 7 p.m.
Erskine Academy fall sports previews
Meetings, notices, events
Regularly scheduled meetings
Dirigo Lodge No. 104 of Weeks Mills meets every third Monday at 7:30 p.m. on Masonic activities contact Master Donald Pratt at 445-3136 or 692-4807. E-mail
China Senior Citizens, 10 a.m. second Monday of each month, Legion Hall.
Planning Board, 7 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of each month, Town Office meeting room.
The Royal Arch Chapter stated meeting, 7:30 p.m. second Wednesday of each month, Masonic hall.
Boy Scout Troop 479, 6:30-8 p.m. every Thursday, China Baptist Church; 11- to 18-year-olds welcome; call Scott Adams at 968-2787.
Herb Society, 7 p.m. second Thursday of each month, old town hall, South China.
China Community Food Pantry open noon-1 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, east side of Lakeview Drive.
South China
South China Volunteer Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of each month, fire station.
Boynton-Webber Post, American Legion, 7:30 p.m. third Tuesday of each month, Legion hall.
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China election results
Presidential vote
Obama 1192
McCain 1127
Nader 37
McKinney 10
Question 1 (people's veto -- beverage tax)
Yes 1553; No 763
Question 2 (casino)
Yes 1176; No 1150
7 referendums passed in China.
[November 5, 2008]
More results in Saturday's KJ.
VOTING RESULTS from around Maine
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Please press button only once SLIPPERY: This vehicle rolled over onto the roof and landed in a ditch along the North Vassalboro Road in China near Route 3 as snow began to cover the road on Friday. Police did not know the names of the victims or extent of any injuries. Staff photos by Andy Molloy
WRESTLING MATCHES: At left, Erskine Academy's Kyle Pooler, top, presses against Medomak Valley'ss Cheyenne Augustine. On right, Monmouth's Cody Guzman, top, has Brian Sweeney under wraps Wednesday in South China. Staff photo by Joe Phelan
LIBBY TAKES GAVEL: Senators Earle McCormick, R-West Gardiner, left, and Douglas Smith, R-Dover Foxcroft, right, cheer after Sen. Libby Mitchell, D-Vassalboro, center, was elected Senate President. Mitchell represents Senate District 24 of which China is part of. See story. Staff photo by Joe Phelan
TAKING IT TO THE HOLE: The Erskine Academy Eagles hosted the Winslow Black Raiders for an early season boys basketball game on Dec. 16, 2008. The Eagles won 39-31. See roundup.
Top stories from China
China answering subdivision lawsuit
[January 9, 2009]
Man sentenced for robbery
[January 8, 2009]
China to decide 5 questions and eye $2M budget
[January 7, 2009]
6-7 center helps sink Erskine
[January 3, 2009]
TALL ORDER
[January 3, 2009]
BRIEFS
[January 1, 2009]
Old conflict restarts at China dam
[December 27, 2008]
CHINA Utility sparks China Lake water-level debate
[December 27, 2008]
CHINA School panel, spending to be decided
[December 24, 2008]
CHINA School panel, budget on ballot
[December 24, 2008]
More news: China stories from past 3 weeks
China Lake
Catch a China Lake lunker? Send us a photo
Fishing depth maps, angling info.
About China lake
China photos wanted
Send us a photo from China. If we use it on the home page, we'll send you a coupon for a free rental at Movie Gallery. Photos should be high quality images that reflect the community and be in .jpg format and be no smaller than 600 pixels. Photos must be sent via e-mail along with mailing address and phone number.
More...
China Area medical and dental facilities
Need a good doctor? Click here to see who's accepting patients
Buy local: Check out China's diverse business community China Sentinel sections
News
Sports
Town information
China Lake region
Business, religion and services
We’re pleased to offer a unique online experience that gives you the latest news and information about China, South China, Weeks Mills and Branch Mills. Take a look around and let us know how we can help you.
Weather
Today's Weather:
Augusta, Maine (Airport)
Updated: 8:53 PM EST on January 11, 2009
8 °F
Clear
See Detailed Forecast >>
When storms hit Maine, we have cancellations, delays and parking bans.
Produced with News 8 WMTW
Forecast for China area for China
Athletics schedules
Boys basketball
Jan. 2 Maranacook 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 at Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 Camden Hills 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Rockland 7 p.m.
Jan. 12 at Waterville 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 Belfast 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 Oak Hill 7 p.m.
Girls basketball
Jan. 2 at Maranacook 6:30 p.m.
Jan. 6 Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 8 at Camden 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 Rockland 1 p.m.
Jan. 12 Waterville 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Belfast 7 p.m.
Jan. 20 at Oak Hill 6:30 p.m.
Wrestling
Jan. 3 at Medomak 10 a.m.
Jan. 7 at Mt. View 7 p.m.
Jan. 10 at Gardiner 10 a.m.
Jan. 14 Nokomis 6 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Brewer 10 a.m.
Jan. 19 at Winslow TBA
Swimming
Jan. 9 at Gardiner 7 p.m.
Jan. 16 at Edward Little 7 p.m.
Jan. 23 at Erskine 7 p.m.
Jan. 30 Winslow 7 p.m.
Erskine Academy fall sports previews
Meetings, notices, events
Regularly scheduled meetings
Dirigo Lodge No. 104 of Weeks Mills meets every third Monday at 7:30 p.m. on Masonic activities contact Master Donald Pratt at 445-3136 or 692-4807. E-mail
China Senior Citizens, 10 a.m. second Monday of each month, Legion Hall.
Planning Board, 7 p.m. second and fourth Tuesday of each month, Town Office meeting room.
The Royal Arch Chapter stated meeting, 7:30 p.m. second Wednesday of each month, Masonic hall.
Boy Scout Troop 479, 6:30-8 p.m. every Thursday, China Baptist Church; 11- to 18-year-olds welcome; call Scott Adams at 968-2787.
Herb Society, 7 p.m. second Thursday of each month, old town hall, South China.
China Community Food Pantry open noon-1 p.m. every Friday and Saturday, east side of Lakeview Drive.
South China
South China Volunteer Fire Department, 7:30 p.m. first Tuesday of each month, fire station.
Boynton-Webber Post, American Legion, 7:30 p.m. third Tuesday of each month, Legion hall.
Want your own blog?
ChinaSentinel.com is looking for bloggers to write for us three to four times per week on all things China. Interested?
E-mail us for more information.
China election results
Presidential vote
Obama 1192
McCain 1127
Nader 37
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Question 1 (people's veto -- beverage tax)
Yes 1553; No 763
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Yes 1176; No 1150
7 referendums passed in China.
[November 5, 2008]
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A snowstorm is wreaking havoc in the Midwest and Northeast, combat is intensifying in Gaza and the University of Virignia and Swarthmore College can claim "best value" status among U.S. universities.
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Moron
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Look up moron, mörön in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.Moron may refer to:
Moron (psychology), disused term for a person with a mental age between 8 and 12, slang for a
Union generally refers to two or
more things joined into one, such as an organization of multiple people or organizations, multiple objections combined into one, and so on.
The term union often refers to a labour union or trade union, a certified association of workers whose goal is to promote the economic social interests of its members, in particular by negotiating and applying collective bargaining agreements.[citation needed]
In the United States, "the Union" can refer to the country as a whole, particularly for rhetorical flourish in a political or patriotic context; for example, the President of the United States gives an annual "State of the Union" address to the United States Congress
When referring to the United States during the American Civil War (1861-1865), "the Union" has an additional meaning, referring also to the United States Federal Government and the 23 states loyal to it during the war; see Union (American Civil War)
In the United Kingdom, "the Union" can refer to the union of England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales into the United Kingdom
Union may also refer to:
Contents [hide]
1 In sports and entertainment
2 In education
3 In transportation
4 In tradesmanship
5 In mathematics and computer science
6 Places
7 As a surname
8 See also
[edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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This page was last modified on 3 December 2008, at 01:24. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Contents
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Search
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
If you are tired of the games that go with your job and want a chance to put a stop to it our next union meeting is jan 29th at the stock house on main st westbrook at 6 pm.
Hopefully you have grown tired of watching big business hide in there cocoon of denial as they make big profits off our sweat and hard work with out compensating us properly.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
An "Internet troll" or "Forum Troll" is a person who posts outrageous message to bait people to answer. Trolls delight in sowing discord on the forums. A troll is someone who inspires flaming rhetoric, someone who is purposely provoking and pulling people into flaming discussion. Flaming discussions usually end with name calling and a flame war.
A classic troll tries to make us believe that he is a skeptic. He is divisive and argumentative with need-to-be-right attitude, "searching for the truth", flaming discussion, and sometimes insulting people or provoking people to insult him. A troll is usually an expert in reusing the same words of its opponents and in turning it against them.
While he tries to present himself as a skeptic looking for truth ... his messages usually sound as if it is the responsibility of other forum members to provide evidence that what forum is all about is legitimate.
He (and in at least 90% of cases it is he) tries to start arguments and upset people.
Sometimes, he is skeptical, trying to scare people, trying to plant fear in their hearts. Sometimes, Internet troll is trying to spin conflicting information, is questioning in an insincere manner, flaming discussion, insulting people, turning people against each other, harassing forum members, ignoring warnings from forum moderators.
Trolling is a form of harassment that can take over a discussion. Well meaning defenders can create chaos by responding to trolls. The best response is to ignore it, or to report a message to a forum moderator. Ubuntuforums moderators usually move troll messages to the jail and may even ban trolls after a few unheeded warnings. Negative emotions stirred up by trolls leak over into other discussions. Normally affable people can become bitter after reading an angry interchange between a troll and his victims, and this can poison previously friendly interactions between long-time users.
Finally, trolls create a paranoid environment, such that a casual criticism by a new arrival can elicit a ferocious and inappropriate backlash.
When trolls are completely ignored they sometimes step up their attacks, desperately seeking the attention they crave. Their messages become more and more foul, and they post ever more of them. Alternatively, they may protest that their right to free speech is being curtailed. Perhaps the most difficult challenge for a moderator is deciding whether to take steps against a troll that a few people find entertaining. Some trolls do have a creative spark and have chosen to squander it on being disruptive. There is a certain perverse pleasure in watching some of them. Ultimately, though, we have to decide if the troll actually cares about putting on a good show for the regular participants, or is simply playing to an audience of one -- himself. For this reason the staff here often intervene, either with a warning in a thread, jailing one or more posts, sending private messages to offenders, and even banning people--temporarily or permanently--from these forums.
As an idea, the next time you see a post by somebody whom you think is a troll, and you feel you must reply, maybe you could just write a follow-up message in the thread entitled "Troll Alert" and type something like this:
Quote:
The only way to deal with trolls is to limit your reaction and not to respond to trolling messages. It is well known that most people don't read messages that nobody responds to, while 99% of forum visitors first read the longest and the largest threads with the most answers.
The goal of the Ubuntuforums is to provide a place where people wanting to share experiences using Ubuntu or Linux in general can do so as well as give and receive technical assistance in a friendly, pleasant environment. Trolls disturb and disrupt community and are neither welcomed nor tolerated. There are lots of "free speech" forums available for political, religious, "not safe for work" and family-unfriendly sorts of interactions. If you feel the need to troll, please seek out one of these places.
----Troll Spotting----
Trolls often have many basic characteristics in common:
1. Low post count. Trolls usually do not last long enough on a forum to rack up a large number of posts. Be particularly suspicious of any poster whose count is not yet in double digits and who appears to be causing trouble.
2. Suspicious IP addresses. Puppet accounts will have IP addresses identical to that of the TiQ.
3. Suspicious E-mail Addresses. Accounts that are similar in nature to those of the TiQ can indicate a puppet account. AOL accounts, for example, are particularly suspect, because AOL allows multiple usernames for a single account.
4. Syntax and grammar. Trolls, particularly Deceptives, invariably have trouble hiding their writing styles. Puppet accounts, or serial accounts created after previous accounts have been thoroughly discredited, will display traits similar to that of the TiQ.
----Links/sources----
These links are the source of much (almost all) of what is contained here. They also go into much greater detail than I have.
http://curezone.com/forums/troll.asp
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
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The Vulgar Troll. These, the crudest of all trolls, make no attempt to hide their species. Often, they make racist comments, or they may post porn and other spam. Vulgars usually confine their comments merely to primitive, profane, off-topic observations. When you log into the Really Profound Serious Philosophical Discussions board and see the post, "I smell my farts," you've spotted the Vulgar Troll. Other species of troll sometimes revert to this form when cornered.
The Deceptive or "Classic" Troll. More sophisticated but often easily identified and exposed, the Classic Troll gratifies his ego by pretending to be someone or something he or she is not. Classics make up elaborate stories about themselves, sometimes weaving some amounts of truth into their lies. As a web of lies is difficult to build with consistency, however, Classics are often "outed" by other forumites. When this happens, Classic Trolls have a bag of tricks to which they turn:
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 1: If the heat gets too much for you, claim it was all "a joke." In this way you can excuse any and all deceit by claiming people just weren't smart enough to "get" the humor of it.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 2: Create another account, and log on pretending to be someone else, in order to show support for the Troll in Question (TiQ). These puppet accounts sometimes claim to be disinterested third parties. At other times they pretend to be "friends" of the TiQ.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 3: When your lies paint you into a corner, claim that your little brother, or some unnamed friend, has commandeered your account and made you look foolish. This technique can also be applied in claiming that the puppet account(s) you created may not, in fact, be disinterested third parties or friends, but that they are your relatives ("little brother" is most common) only trying to help support you.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 4: When nothing else works, claim that now, finally, you're telling the truth about all the lies you told before. Make up a fresh set of lies, and throw yourself on the mercy of the forumites.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 5: When all else fails, claim to be leaving forever. Trolls who claim they are leaving never do, of course; you can bet that anyone who proclaims, "I'm never coming back here," will most certainly at least check back for responses, and probably will not be able to resist posting again.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 6: Have a tantrum. When all their other tricks are exhausted, Classic Trolls will become angry and start shouting. Often they revert to Vulgar Trolls when this happens.
– Classic Troll Tactic Number 7: The insincere apology. Similar to Tactic 4, this involves pretending to repent for one's trolling and is accompanied often by great melodrama. Insincere troll apologists hope that they'll be forgiven if only they act disgusted enough with their own behavior.
The Contrarian Troll. A sophisticated breed, Contrarian Trolls frequent boards whose predominant opinions are contrary to their own. A forum dominated by those who support firearms and knife rights, for example, will invariably be visited by Contrarian Trolls espousing their beliefs in the benefits of gun control. It is important to distinguish between dissenters and actual Contrarian Trolls, however; the Contrarian is not categorized as a troll because of his or her dissenting opinions, but due to the manner in which he or she behaves:
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number One: The most important indicator of a poster's Contrarian Troll status is his constant use of subtle and not-so-subtle insults, a technique intended to make people angry. Contrarians will resist the urge to be insulting at first, but as their post count increases, they become more and more abusive of those with whom they disagree. Most often they initiate the insults in the course of what has been a civil, if heated, debate to that point.
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number Two: Constant references to the forum membership as monolithic. "You guys are all just [descriptor]." "You're a lynch mob." "You all just want to ridicule anyone who disagrees with you."
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number Three: Intellectual dishonesty. This is only a mild indicator that is not limited to trolls, but Contrarians display it to a high degree. They will lie about things they've said, pull posts out of context in a manner that changes their meanings significantly, and generally ignore any points for which they have no ready answers.
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number Four: Accusing the accusers. When confronted with their trolling, trolls immediately respond that it is the accusers who are trolls (see Natural Predators below). Often the Contrarian will single out his most vocal opponent and claim that while he can respect his other opponents, this one in particular is beneath his notice.
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number Five: Attempts to condescend. The Contrarian will seek refuge in condescending remarks that repeatedly scorn his or her critics as beneath notice – all the while continuing to respond to them.
– Contrarian Warning Sign Number Six: One distinctive mark of Contrarian Trolls is that every thread in which they dissent quickly devolves into a debate about who is trolling whom. In the course of such a debate the Contrarian will display many of the other Warning Signs mentioned above.
The YerATroll. YerATrolls are those whining forumites who devote a tremendous amount of time and energy complaining about the tremendous amount of time an energy expended by Troll Bashers and Angry Forumites on the practice of troll-hunting. A self-righteous and hypocritical breed, YerATrolls spend all their time pointing fingers at everyone but trolls, petulantly demanding that their opinions be granted the significance the YerATroll believes they deserve. YerATrolls often start threads excoriating others for troll-hunting, all the while completely oblivious to the fact that they're engaging in trolling by picking fights with everyone else. One of the most ill-tempered of troll species, YerATrolls are characterized by a childish need for attention disguised as cynical nobility and pretensions of being "above it all."
The Agenda Troll. Agenda trolls are those participants who join a forum specifically to pursue an agenda of their own – often a feud or grudge with another member, or perhaps a dispute with some party not participating in that forum. When a flame war erupts on another board, for example, Agenda Trolls will follow their opponents to other forums in order to continue the spat.
– Some Agenda Trolls are subject-matter oriented. An Agenda Troll who thinks Self-Defense Instructor X is a fraud, or who feels he has been ripped off or otherwise dealt with unfairly by Instructor X, will visit forums devoted to self-defense and martial arts in order to spread his or her negative opinion of Instructor X.
– Agenda Trolls may also be of the milder Spam Agenda subspecies; these are Trolls who join a board specifically to advertise some venture of their own. They are not often troublesome, though their shameless plugging is met with varying degrees of irritation.
The Sophist Troll. Sophist Trolls, or "philotrolls," fancy themselves Enlightened Philosophers or Learned Experts of the highest order. Often well educated, Philotrolls are capable of speaking intelligently on a number of topics, and when the spirit moves them they can be worthwhile forum participants. Unfortunately, Sophist Trolls are an extremely hostile and intolerant species.
When confronted by opinions with which they do not agree – particularly when they do not see any means of successfully arguing their contrary views – Sophists resort (repeatedly) to a variety of intellectually dishonest tactics. Most often, this is characterized by an overly snide, condescending, patronizing attitude. Philotrolls consider anyone with whom they do not agree to be "immature," and are fond of quoting that old saw that "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."
When cornered they are quick to resort to personal attacks. A philotroll's bag of rhetorical tricks includes a variety of transparent ploys, such as willfully misinterpreting the opponent's words, committing Straw Man fallacies, accusing his or her opponents of engaging in the very tactics used by the philotroll, and so forth.
When engaging in their sophistry, philotrolls are among the most hypocritical and aggravating of trollkind.
The Affected Profundity Troll. A mutant subspecies of Sophist Trolls, Affected Profundity Trolls post endless pages of pretentious drivel that is intended to appear wise, but which generally makes little sense (if any). Affected Profundity Trolls enjoy asking themselves questions, sometimes answering them and sometimes leaving them hanging, for they believe this looks intelligent and lends an aura of mystery to their incoherent ramblings. Affected Profundity Trolls aspire to become Sophist Trolls, but lack the intelligence necessary to make the leap.
The Don King Troll. Related to Affected Profundity Trolls, Don King Trolls spout gibberish in the hope that they'll either bore or confuse to death those with whom they disagree. The average Don King Troll is "a pursuitist who gromulates his adversarial computerists with height defining formulations to the disinterestingest adjunct."
The Artistic Troll. A higher species of Classic Troll, Artistic Trolls are intelligent individuals who understand the subtle art of trolling, and who do what they do specifically to make others look foolish. Often employing the techniques of Deceptive Trolls, Artistics will string forumites along until some point in time designated by their own desires, at which point they will reveal the ploy, admit that it was a ploy, and laugh at everyone for being stupid enough to fall for it. Artistic Trolls delight in sowing discord, but do it in a highly developed and fully aware manner. They do not care if they are despised, and do not seek the approval of forum participants. Chaos is their only goal, and preferably chaos with a humorous bent to it. Without a doubt, this is the most dangerous species.
The Bitter Troll. Bitter Trolls are a curious cross-species. They can be trolls of any breed in their larval stages, but become Bitters after their previous activities are seen for what they were. What sets these trolls apart from other classifications is their behavior after they have been spotted and labeled as trolls. Angry, frustrated, and resentful about being "outed," the Bitter Troll will wage a campaign of indignant complaints intended to focus attention away from the troll and on whomever is responsible for identifying the creature. Often, a troll mutates into a Bitter just prior to becoming a Vulgar.
The Bustr. Bustrs are obsessive Bitters by whom you could practically set your watch. A Bustr never forgets, never forgives, and holds a grudge until the day it dies. Also a variant of Agenda trolls, Bustrs typically move from forum to forum complaining about the objects of their ire, often cutting and pasting age-old diatribes that have little meaning to most of their audiences. Most Bustrs are relatively incoherent, though a few of the more lucid ones are potentially dangerous stalkers.
The Mutt. Alternatively known as Dogs or Yapping Dogs. Mutts are pack animals characterized by their loud barking – vociferous, repetitive, usually ignorant and irrational criticism of anything and anyone they do not like. Mutts frequently become obsessed with a few or even a single poster with whom they disagree, often for purely personal reasons. Like a dog gnawing at a bone, the Mutt will attack the object of its ire over and over again, making a fool of itself in the eyes of those who understand such childish behavior for what it is. Often one Mutt in a group of Yapping Dogs will act as the alpha of the pack, while the others chime in to voice their mindless (but loud) support for their leader's opinions.
The Holy Misroller (HM). Holy Misrollers are those online forum participants who give Christians (or other religious adherents) a bad name. The HM believes himself or herself to be a Christian (etc.) and will generally tell anyone who'll listen about his or her faith in God and in Jesus. At the same time, however, the HM will display decidedly un-Christian behavior, frequently making an *** out of him- or herself. The HM is often characterized by a great deal of anger and hostility. The breed tends to lash out at anyone and anything not in keeping with its incorrectly narrow worldview. The saddest part about HMs is that they do not truly understand Christianity at all.
The Marketing Genius. A Marketing Genius is absolutely convinced that you are profiting from your participation in an Internet forum. If you have a link or a graphic block in you signature, the Marketing Genius just knows that this is your subtle attempt to assert your hypnotic powers on other bulletin board participants, luring them with the siren song of your complex and inscrutable advertising of your site. It does not matter to the Marketing Genius that forum members have been placing links and pictures in their signatures since the ability to do so was first created. Having never created anything of value themselves, Marketing Geniuses have only their bitter envy and their firm belief that you are a Dot Com Billionaire to motivate and occupy them.
The Honorable Nitwit. Honorable Nitwits absolutely love to speak about honor. This breed invokes the concepts of honor, integrity, humility, and other traits straight from the Boy Scout Oath more often than a Klingon warrior on anti-depressants. Honorable nitwits are convinced that everyone around them suffers from a lack of honor – an idea they thoroughly fail to understand in attempting to use its lack to smear others.
The Old Warrior. The Old Warrior has been there and done that. He has little time to spare for those who have not been there and done that. The Old Warrior has been there and done that to such an extent, in fact, that he is always right. Anyone who disagrees with him, therefore, is wrong by definition and should shut the hell up. Old Warriors place a very high premium on one's credentials relevant to the subject matter discussed – failing to understand the logical fallacy of appeals to authority.
The Forum Cultist. Forum cultists are extremely proud of the incredible Internet communities to which they belong. They pride themselves on the exclusivity of those communities and actually believe that "it can't happen to them" – "it," of course, being their own banishment. Forum cultists place a very high premium on groupthink and generally react to differing opinions with outrage, banning all who dare to speak them.
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Last edited by matthew; May 19th, 2006 at 02:40 PM..
The Straight Dope is a popular question-and-answer newspaper column published in the Chicago Reader, syndicated in thirty newspapers in the United States and Canada,[1] and available online. The column derives its name from the American idiom meaning roughly "the honest truth" and covers many subjects, including history, science, old wives' tales, urban legends and inventions. The column appears under the tagline "Fighting ignorance since 1973 (it's taking longer than we thought)".
First published by the Reader in 1973, the column is written by Cecil Adams.[1] To date, Adams has published five collections of his columns, and his "assistant" Ed Zotti has published a children's collection in the Adams style, Know It All.[2] Adams has also published several collections of material from the column into paperback books.
The columns are archived at the Straight Dope website, which also hosts an active message board.
Contents [hide]
1 Spin-offs
2 See also
3 References
4 External links
[edit] Spin-offs
In 1996, the A&E Network briefly aired a show based on the column called The Straight Dope, hosted and co-written by comedian Mike Lukas.[3]
[edit] See also
Snopes
[edit] References
^ a b "The Straight Dope FAQ". The Straight Dope. Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
^ "The Straight Dope Books". The Straight Dope. Chicago Reader. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
^ "Mike Lukas". Deja Vu Comedy Club. Retrieved on 2008-01-27.
[edit] External links
The Straight Dope
The Straight Dope Message Board
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Straight_Dope"
Categories: Columns | Skeptic multimedia
Yes I am a bitter Troll
Yes I am a bitter Troll
The OnionApple Employee Fired For Thinking Different
February 24, 1999 | Issue 35•07
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New Secret Service Agent Disappointed There Are No Decoy Presidents
September 5, 2007
Media Landscape Redefined By 24-Second News Cycle
June 1, 2007
CUPERTINO, CA—Brent Barlow, 27, a software analyst and beta-tester at Apple Computer headquarters in Cupertino, was fired Monday for "thinking a little too different."
Enlarge Image
A 1998 photo of Apple software analyst Brent Barlow, who was recently fired for "thinking too far outside the box."
Apple spokespersons said the firing was necessary because Barlow "consistently failed to adhere to the normal standards of conduct and daily routines expected of employees of Apple Computer."
Among the floutings of convention cited in Barlow's Apple employee file: developing a pulley system to store his mountain bike above his workstation, listening to Bob Dylan on his headphones while testing software, and taking barefoot walks around the Apple campus to "feel more connected to the creative energy of others."
"It's okay to think outside the box," said Avie Tevanian, Apple senior vice-president of software engineering. "In fact, we very much encourage that sort of thing here at Apple. But in Mr. Barlow's case, he went just a bit too far."
Barlow was first written up in September 1996, when he was cited for "unprofessional and inappropriate personal modifications to his workspace." In addition to taped-up pictures of Mahatma Gandhi, Albert Einstein and R. Buckminster Fuller, Barlow painted a large red question mark on the side of his monitor, scanned and displayed a non-approved desktop screen image of Jim Henson, and replaced his computer's trademarked Apple system beep with a snippet of the John Lennon song "Imagine."
"I like to explore problems from unusual angles," said the ponytailed Barlow, cleaning out the desk he has occupied since joining Apple in 1995. "And being in a free-form environment of my own creation really helps me get in the right frame of mind."
Barlow's most recent formal write-up came last Thursday, when his team supervisor caught him doing a headstand.
"I was stuck on this bug I discovered in the new Mac OS X system software that Apple's developing. No matter what I tried, nothing worked," Barlow said. "So I thought to myself, what I need to do is turn my whole approach to this problem upside-down. And what better way to do that than by standing on your head?"
In an effort to prevent such incidents of "excessive iconoclasm" in the future, Apple has developed a manual outlining the company's rules and regulations regarding individualism. Permitted will be such unorthodox activities as removing shoes when seated or within four feet of a desk; whistling when given prior written permission from a direct supervisor; and kicking puddles, provided the kicking is conducted during one's lunch hour and the puddle is one of the 35 on the Apple campus specifically designated for such a purpose. Prohibited will be such "gratuitously idiosyncratic" behaviors as singing out loud, flying kites and catching butterflies.
"Of course, we want our employees to be individuals and 'do their own thing,' so to speak," Apple director of corporate communications Michael Landau said. "But Mr. Barlow's behavior consistently crossed the line. If he wants to think that different, he can do it on his own time."
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Home Video Sports Radio Election 08 Business Our Dumb World Historical Archives Magazine News Archive At the AV Club:AVQ&A: Our best holiday gifts 2008 Site LinksHelp Contact Privacy Policy Media Kit Jobs RSS Subscriptions, RSS, Mobile, Etc.Email Dispatch daily weekly video The Onion is not intended for readers under 18 years of age.
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Your Horoscope
Your Birthday Today
Bloodied, alone and in shock, you'll finally realize it's not a Gorilla Gram.
Aries March 21 - April 19
The coming week will feature ball lighting, skin lesions, and a runaway gasoline truck. Then things will get ugly.
Taurus April 20 - May 20
Wrinkles are usually a sign of aging, but in your case they just mean you should get out of the tub.
Gemini May 21 - June 21
Your tryst with a married woman will come to an end this week when she finally asks you for a divorce.
Cancer June 22 - July 22
Everything will go according to plan, except for the injured hostages, the brief shoot-out with police, and the fact that you were just trying to make toast.
Leo July 23 - August 22
The stars indicate that you're a lean, mean sex machine. Also, the stars indicate that you only take quarters.
Virgo August 23 - September 22
True happiness will continue to elude you in the days to—wait, there it is! There, behind the couch! Quickly, it's getting away!
Libra September 23 - October 23
Having a child is one of the most thrilling experiences a woman can have, but you'll give it all up for the rush of riding your town's new rollercoaster.
Scorpio October 24 - November 21
Your life will have a fairy tale ending. Unfortunately for you, it's the one with the three bears returning home.
Sagittarius November 22 - December 21
A freak explosion aboard a Florida fishing boat leaves you with the proportional strength and speed of a red-bellied trout.
Capricorn December 22 - January 19
Avoid confrontation at work today. Sneak up behind your boss and slowly strangle him to death.
Aquarius January 20 - February 18
Aquarius would love nothing more than to predict your future, but its old lady just got back from the C-Town, and man, that shit smells good.
Pisces February 19 - March 20
You will accidentally jump to your death this week, thanks to a rather low ceiling fan.
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© Copyright 2009 by Onion, Inc. All rights reserved.
Factual Error Found On Internet
May 22, 2002 | Issue 38•19
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October 6, 1999
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January 22, 2003
LONGMONT, CO—The Information Age was dealt a stunning blow Monday, when a factual error was discovered on the Internet. The error was found on TedsUltimateBradyBunch.com, a Brady Bunch fan site that incorrectly listed the show's debut year as 1968, not 1969.
Enlarge Image
The shocking error.
Caryn Wisniewski, a Pueblo, CO, legal secretary and diehard Brady Bunch fan, came across the mistake while searching for information about the show's first-season cast.
"When I first saw 1968 on the web page, I thought, 'Wow, apparently, all those Brady Bunch books I've read listing 1969 as the show's first year were wrong,'" Wisniewski told reporters at a press conference. "But even though I obviously trusted the Internet, I was still kind of puzzled. So I checked other Brady Bunch fan sites, and all of them said 1969. After a while, it slowly began to sink in that the World Wide Web might be tainted with unreliable information."
Following up on her suspicion, Wisniewski phoned her public library, the ABC television network, and the office of Brady Bunch producer Sherwood Schwartz—all of whom confirmed that "Ted's Ultimate Brady Bunch Site" was in error.
Attempts to contact the webmaster of "Ted's Ultimate Brady Bunch Site," identified as Ted Crewes of Naugatuck, CT, were unsuccessful. The page has been taken offline by its host, Cheaphost.net, which released a statement Tuesday.
"We at Cheaphost were deeply saddened and disturbed to learn that one of the millions of pages we host contained a factual discrepancy," the web-posted statement read. "Please be assured that we are doing everything within our power to ensure that nothing of the sort happens again. We will not rest until the Internet's once-sterling reputation as the world's leading source for 100 percent reliable information is restored."
Paul Boutin, senior editor of Wired, said the error is likely to have a profound effect on how the Internet is perceived.
"Will we ever fully trust the Web again?" Boutin asked. "We may well be witnessing the dawn of a new era of skepticism in which we no longer accept everything we read online at face value. But regardless of what the future holds, one thing is clear: The Internet's status as the world's definitive repository of incontrovertible fact has been jeopardized."
Peter Luyck, 30, a Dallas-area graphic designer and frequent Internet user, was crestfallen.
"If it happens once, it can happen again," Luyck said. "I shudder to think that, one dark day in the future, misinformation could again make its way online. In fact, it may already have. How do we know that trusted sites like the Drudge Report and Fucked Company are as accurate as we instinctively trust them to be? Can we blindly trust that SpideyRulez.com is correct in its reportage that the upcoming Spider-Man sequel will feature Christopher Walken as Dr. Octopus? Pandora is out of the box."
Though the Brady Bunch error is the first confirmed instance of false information on the Internet, scares have occurred in the past. In 1998, an e-mail sent to a woman in Warner Robins, GA, made an unverifiable claim that she could earn thousands of dollars from an initial $5 investment. The claim was never conclusively proven false, and no charges were filed.
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9990 diggsApple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard1240 diggsTerror Experts Warn Next 9/11 Could Fall On Different Date397 diggsPowerful Rest And Fluids Industry Influencing Doctors' Treatment Of Colds141 diggsLaDainian Tomlinson To Play Next Game Without A Groin113 diggsMan Who Crossed Nation In Balloon Only Wants To Talk About Horse Abuse
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© Copyright 2009 Onion Inc. All rights reserved.
Gallant Man Extremely Concerned About Drunk Woman's Welfare
January 9, 2009 | Issue 45•02
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Web-Browser History A Chronicle Of Couple's Unspoken Desires
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FORT WAYNE, IN—Derek Kriesel, 22, who shall heretofore be known far and wide as the stately prince of Shooters Sports Pub & Grub, gallantly rushed to the aid of an inebriated maiden Tuesday when he noticed she was too drunk to make rational decisions. "A noble one was he who, as the valiant knights of yore, attended to her every whim, and yet she did not have to ask, or even glance in his direction," bartender Nate Bogen said of the modern-day Lancelot, who from his own pocket purchased many a drink for the woman after she fumbled just once for her purse. "He is truly a man among men, for ne'er did his eyes stray from her." According to sources, the noble hero also escorted the fair lady to her quarters, fingered her while she vomited, and slipped off before dawn without waking her or her parents.
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The Time has come!
May 30, 2008 10:50 AM
Anonymous said...
Time for what?
May 30, 2008 2:17 PM
Anonymous said...
The time has really come for this company to listen to us. Now that Timewarner has bought all the Adelphia properties in this area, we now have a lot more unhappy workers to stand behind us. We need to all stand together and we will see a better future become of this. Just ask my friends from fairpoint how they like their job, pay and benefits.
May 30, 2008 4:59 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.comcastworkersunited.com/
We are not the only ones going through this..
May 30, 2008 7:46 PM
Anonymous said...
do want to end being the some of the lowest paid in the industry?
do you want to end being responsible for repeats beyond your control?
do you want to end unreasonable workloads?
do you want to bring safety practices to a dangerous job?
would you like to retire some day with a pension so you could enjoy your retirement?
would you like a voice in your workplace?
would you like to get the respect you deserve?
if we stand together we will have an opportunity to work towards all these things.
The Time for change has come!
May 31, 2008 8:36 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiA8V248WMM
May 31, 2008 9:58 PM
Anonymous said...
TOP 10 UNFAIR LABOR PRACTICES ACCORDING TO THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD
#1. Your employer has no right to cause interference with the employee's right to decide whether or not they wish to have a union representing them.
#2. An employer can not interfere with the unions internal affairs. In general an employer should remain neutral during any organizing campaign.
#3. Meetings with the employee's as a captive audience, cannot be used by their employer as a forum or opportunity to criticize the union.
#4. An employer interferes with the affairs of a trade union when it prohibits the wearing of union pins in the work place.
#5. An employer initiating petition for employees to withdraw their support of a union is also deemed as interference and not allowed.
#6. Any employers communications with employees must concern business affairs and not unionization.
#7. Comments like "the employees would be better off without a union" amounts to interference and is not allowed under the law.
#8. An employer cannot issue a bulletin to employees that sends an implicit message that employees can obtain a wage increase without a union.
#9. An employer cannot say:
a) union representation will not benefit the employees
b) employees may speak about the subject with employer
representatives
c) there will be serious consequences for the company if you go
union
#10. An employer who promises that conditions would improve if they did not unionize would be conducting an unfair labor practice. An employer must remain neutral during an organizing campaign.
May 31, 2008 10:09 PM
Anonymous said...
What about a Union promising things will improve if they unionize? How could you know that?
June 1, 2008 1:17 AM
Anonymous said...
Do you think anything will ever improve without one. Over many years served to this company, nothing has ever changed, only got worse. Unions wont change anything overnight, but its a start to addressing our problems. Unions arent for every company, but now we have some numbers with the all the offices combined. Look at CMP or Fairpoint/Verizon. Do you think they like their unions with their good beneift and awesome pay. You make so much less than the phone company employees, why ? we do phone too. And Timewarner loves to pay us like cable guys..Many of us think its time for a change.
June 1, 2008 8:34 AM
massachussetes comcast tech said...
This is a new age. I work for Comcast, the beggest cable company in the country. I did not begin my career in cable with this cheap greedy company, i started with medis-one. Let me tell you the bigger these companies get the worse they get. We had a pension until Comcast came to town, this was there first order of business..bye bye pension. and over the years the bigger this company has gotten the more they take. Comcast is making profits hand over fist, and yet every year we lose a little more. Stop beleiving these anti-union idiots who say we will get nothing with a union, because its a lie. Lets stand united, we here at comcast are signing the cards, more so than i've ever seen before. Organizing the whole cable industry will benefit all of us, driving up pay rates and benefits. Don't be a fool sign the cards as we are doing, lets get this union push going. It's the only way we will have a chance in these ever expanding big companies who do nothing more than take from the hard working employees. I feel your pain. The brown nosers and management are watching us and reporting everything we do. We are trying to be secretive about it. Try and do the same get the cards signed and lets finaly raise the standard of living for cable workers accross the country...
June 1, 2008 10:29 AM
Anonymous said...
I hope that you unhappy guys are a minority.If things are so bad in the cable industry why did you choose to work here?I think the unions are full of crap!!!
June 1, 2008 11:00 AM
massachussetes comcast tech said...
We chose to work in the cable industry before these corporate takeovers. The bigger the companies grew the worse it became. again i started in Media-One. this was a smaller company that gave its workers some respect. The bigger the company gets the worse it gets.
VOTE IN THE UNION.. WE NEED IT FOR A BETTER FUTURE
June 1, 2008 11:19 AM
Anonymous said...
the union promises only one thing;
the opportunity to bring about change. if you do nothing nothing will change
June 1, 2008 11:55 AM
Anonymous said...
If you do nothing the Company will just take at will, they do not care about anyone except for there bottom line. Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits.
June 6, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
"Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits."
Except for the locations that are working to do away with the union.
June 6, 2008 8:50 PM
Anonymous said...
I can see you have a slow start. This is great place to get your points accross. Alot of helpful post on the comcast blogspot.
http://www.comcastworkersfightback.blogspot.com/
check it out, we all have the same issues.
June 7, 2008 8:10 AM
Anonymous said...
Wow...I was hoping there would be an outpouring of PISSED OFF'ED NESS here. Time Warner makes big promises, makes big profits, and keeps the money in the top 10% of the company.
To the asshat who said we should just work somewhere else...well we actually like our jobs, we're good at our jobs, and if we were making what YOU are with YOUR benefits, we'd be happy as pigs in shit.
With a Union you have to ask yourself... 1. can it possibly get any worse? 2. How hard to I have to work before I feel appreciated and compensated?
We're all in the same boat. Let's row to a better future for all of us!
June 8, 2008 10:16 PM
Anonymous said...
quote:
"Look at the other companies on the pole with union representation all have much better wages and benefits."
Except for the locations that are working to do away with the union.
June 6, 2008 8:50 PM
Well I don't exactly see a whole lot of those anywhere. Why would you give up the only control and bargaining power you have? This company is made on OUR BACKS, OUR SWEAT, OUR BLOOD, and we aren't even authorized to stop work in hurricane winds, lightning storms, and severe snow. Have you checked your medical benefits lately? They changed our good coverage after their mandatory audit, and gave us back crap. You can be guaranteed that all other utilities pay less, and get MORE!
Let's get this DONE!
June 9, 2008 2:06 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
For anyone who may have questions about forming a union,or questions on what a union may have to offer, or what protection under the law you have while gaining the information you need in order to make an informed decision on the future for you and your family then attend a meeting and ask those questions. Remember your right to attend a meeting is protected by the law and that it is illegal for a company to spy or send some one to spy for them to such a meeting. You have rights!
June 10, 2008 8:03 PM
Anonymous said...
There are three COMPANIES working from the same pole. theres the power company, the cable company, then the phone company. Which one gets paid the least? Which one has to pay for medical (ie more every year to boot)? Mr. I want to see a better contract, answer those questions. As a matter of fact, let all the anti-union people anwser those questions. We do the same job for less pay and we are the only one not represented by a union. Wake up. Your arguement would have validity if we made more than them but we don't.
WHAT DO I NEED A PENSION, PAY AND HEALTH INSURANCE FOR, I HAVE FREE CABLE AND A TRUCK !!!!!!!!!
AND BY THE WAY I DID NOT APPLY TO Timewarner I APPLIED TO Adelphia SO STOP TELLING ME I HAD A CHOICE. THIS CHEAP I DONT GIVE A SHIT ABOUT MY EMPLOYEES FUTURE COMPANY CAME IN AND STARTED TAKING IMMEDIATELY..... Maine IS READY TO SIGN THE CARDS
SIGNED A PISSED OFF Timewarner TECH.
June 11, 2008 8:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey A PISSED OFF Timewarner TECH tell me what you lost when time warner took over so Maybe I can be pissed too.I thought TW treated me pretty good so tell me what I,m missing out on.
June 12, 2008 6:11 PM
Anonymous said...
I agree that we all need to be heard, I also think that nobody expects to be given something for nothing. All I want is for my opinion to matter. We all should be proud of our jobs and our company should be proud of US! If we are continually treated unfairly a union may be a step in the right direction, I would just like to see some examples. Recently our shop was told of poor contracts for Time Warner and I for one would just like to see what a typical contract consists of, be it good or bad. If anybody has any idea where I would be able to find this let me know here, I'll check back often.
I just hope everybody knows its your right, and in my opinion obligation, to make an informed decision thats right for you and your family. Nobody should make any decision without all the information they can get.
June 12, 2008 8:59 PM
under paid cable tech said...
This applies to my brothers over at TIMEWARNER
I can give every tech ONE GUARANTEE, if we do not vote the union in we will never gain any benefits. Comcast will never willfully give us any benefits to our gain. The only way to attain better than the shit we have now is to bargain. The only way to bargain is with a union. The choice is simple, work for shit, NO UNION. Gain benefits and wages, UNION.
June 12, 2008 11:42 PM
Anonymous said...
I'll address what I lost when Time Warner took over--
I lost seniority. I don't get paid what a TW worker of my experience and level of knowledge gets paid.
I lost a great benefits package. Heath, Vision, and Dental were TOP NOTCH and the envy of everyone (except verizon).
I lost a laid back work environment and got a bunch of dispatchers that now get a kick out of adding work to my que at the end of my shift.
I lost a sense of pride when all the promises about great change and better treatment by TW during the by out have taken years to materialize and when those changes do come, they are pennies compared to dollars.
I do enjoy my work, but I refuse to accept that this company CANNOT treat me better. I am not asking for the world, but this is not my FIRST rodeo, and at this rate it won't be my last.
I want a job that I can earn a wage to support a family, get good benefits from a large company that can afford to supply them, and one that I can progress and eventually retire from.
I guess if all these things are too much to ask, I should look elsewhere, but again I DON'T think these things are too much to ask.
June 13, 2008 11:36 AM
Anonymous said...
You don't have to look elsewhere to get decent wages and benfits, you just have to band together and join a union. The IBEW is trying to raise the standard of living of the cable companies. If we stand alone the company will just fuck us. why take away from management, if they can take away from the workers. United the company is forced to bargain in good faith. Getting better and wages might take a little time but without a union it will never happen. With a union at least we have a chance.
June 13, 2008 12:23 PM
Anonymous said...
if the whole state of maine sticks together it's going to be hard for them to give us shity contracts, besides those unions they were talking about that got shitty contracts what did they have for numbers?
June 13, 2008 6:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
June 13, 2008 10:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Yeah......right!!!(NOT!) After the way NYNEX/VERIZON treated my family, you can keep your friggin' union. Why would I want to pay IBEW for not owning up to implied promises? I've already got an ex-wife for that!
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Please don't tell me you left a telephone job to join cable...you must have had to sell your home to pay the difference.
I'm guess your uncle's cousin's sisters fathers brother didn't like unions. But if you have specific examples please list them. Thanks.
June 14, 2008 8:34 AM
Anonymous said...
yeh we got it good 12 bucks an hour, gps babby sitting us, ass loads of work that's impossible to do right ( don't foget to pass q'c every wall plate must be compression haha) health insurance copays change when they feel like changing them,(go to the doctors and see how good are benefits are?) performce raise's that are less than the cost of living raise that your were promised to get that you didn't get so you really didn't get a raise at all? a qc policy that changes evey week that i still don't know but hey it only effects your raise at the end of the year, "i think this year i'm getting 32 cents" but if i come home after working 12 hours and not talk to my wife and kids i can study my ncti books for 2 months and get another 80 cents and hour for something they already expect me to do that i havent got paid for yet i can live just below poverty level, an my next raise will be in a year, wow i'm sure glad i get free cable my oil man loves it. "sorry can't pay the bill, but hey check out skinnamax at 11 it's great. yeh overall very happy i figured it out 40 miles a day with 20mpg = 1 buck more an hour to take my truck home, that's equal to the phone company's wage right? so overall 3 year service tech that gets paid 20 bucks an hour less that the phone company that has better equipment (buckets) than we do, and dosen't do television at all. yeh unions suck. i'll just keep dreaming about owning a house
June 14, 2008 10:51 PM
Anonymous said...
If Maint dealt with the same bullshit we did they would be for the union too. How about them getting a repeat on a line prob.... not them... how about sales... not them... how about a full board of time frames.... not them.... but let me see they have to fix an outage in 2 hours, big fucking deal. Most of the time your changing a fucking fuse in an amp....... Try rewiring a house in less than an hour because there are two more trouble calls in the same time frame, and oh yeah, sell them something on the way out. we put a ticket in they don't fix it, we go back get a repeat... not them.. we have to work in the rain.. not them.. they find a coffee shop to sit in till the rain stops.. we have 15 trouble calls. how about this one try knocking on a fucking door to fix a leak instead of padding and fleeing. you have no time frames we do. I don't want to hear you were on call and got called out at 2am, because you spend most of the day at home sleeping anyway so it shouldn't be a problem.
June 15, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
As a former tech now management I probably shouldn't write anything like this. But away from work I really support my guys and their union hopes. As a former installer, I would work long hours in the rain and snow and make just pennies on the dollar. I understand where you guys are coming from. Timewarner will stand to lose a lot of money on lawyers fighting this union stand. They will be forced to listing this time due to 300 workers voicing their opion on wages and unfair acts. Do you think I belive that these repeats really are fair? Do you think you guys are very underpaid compaired to phone? You were told that phone is a different bread of work thats why you dont get paid like they do. Has anyone looked into that we are the forth largest phone company in the USA? We are the least paid too. When wages are finally increased to industry standards, we the management will finally get a little compensation too. I know this. Good luck guys !!
June 15, 2008 5:22 PM
Anonymous said...
if you are mangement then change this bull shit and if you get a raise then give us one and if you think we are fairly compensated for our work then you are a suck pump. p.s fuck all you non-union dumbasses that are doing a skilled trade for shit pay when our company is making billions a quater "think about it use your head, there is a better life out there for us in this bussiness if we stick together, they can't replace numbers."
June 15, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
All a union can promise us is that they'll negotiate for us. Anyone here know what negotiate means? It means "we'll trade this for that". Or "do this or we'll strike". What do we have now that we're willing to trade? Trade low insurance premiums for higher wages? Maybe cut out the annual bonus program?
Don't think a union gets something for nothing - and how much will we be paying in dues?
What about the tech next to you that doesn't do his job right? He'll get the same raise we will, and if he was here before you were, he has seniority for everything ... better shifts, newer trucks etc.
Unless of course you "are" that tech that wants all those great things for less effort than the rest of us ... and what do you think our customer's will think of the new Time Warner? You think wait times are bad now? See what happens when every tech goes home after their strict 8 hour day.
And heaven forbid you actually rely on overtime like some of us - that goes to the senior tech also. Hope you didn't need those extra hours for an upcoming birthday, or Christmas.
Absolutely organize, absolutely ask questions, and absolutely be sure you know what you're getting into. Just be sure you're getting answers from the union, and not wishy-washy half-truths. If they answer your question with a question about TW - did they really answer you? It's just like politics these days, they won't tell you why they are great - they'll just try tell you why TW is bad.
I just want all of us to make an informed decision. No more "BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts". If your informed decision leads you to union representation, then vote that way. But the rest of us need to know that not voting is as good as voting "for" the union.
June 16, 2008 1:49 PM
Steve Smith IBEW said...
To the person who wrote about unions negotiating, and ot going to the senior tech and the lazy techs getting the same as you the harworking tech come to a meeting and we can discuss what is half true and what is not. What I think we can all agree on (see the Wall St Journal) is that the cable division of TW did very well last year thanks solely to the efforts of its dedicated workers. Do you feel that you received your fair share of the profits that YOU generated? I look forward to talking to you at the next meeting.
June 16, 2008 2:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Well since this is a discussion forum how about some examples? I'm curious what they did to your "family". I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts. If you come here to say "unions suck" please have some facts to back it up, and not generic responses.
Wow, too bad you don't follow your own advice.
I DID, but since I didn't sign you you wouldn't know that. I made the long post about what I LOST when I BECAME Time Warner.
Personally I WANT to go home after 8hrs. We shouldn't have to get overtime to make a living wage. If you look at the "merit raises" we get now esentially everyone IS GETTING THE SAME RAISES now...3.9-4.0% a year. WOOOPIE!!! That doesn't even cover the cost of living. I don't care what our customers think of the "new Time Warner" they hate the Time Warner they already have. Should they have to wait 3 weeks for a service call? Probably not. Could Time Warner hire enough techs to get the job done instead of overworking the tech's they have? ABSOLUTELY.
I don't want OT. I don't want to work on call to change batteries in people remotes. I don't want to depend on overtime. I want to do my job, take the time it should take to complete it, be proud of it, and then go home to my beautiful family.
Like Steve says, come to a meeting and ask the questions. And then ask yourself if the "Power of You" might be worth more than you think it is.
June 16, 2008 5:42 PM
Anonymous said...
yeh just like you said you rely on overtime so that means for fairly compesated for your work? overtime isn't written in stone and if you can barley survive on 40 hours for climbing poles all day than somethings wrong, ours bodys are taking a beating for to little money.
June 16, 2008 5:49 PM
mm said...
i have worked at time warner for more than 27 years and in that time i have seen many good people treated poorly. now is the time to stand together and work together for a better future .
June 17, 2008 6:55 PM
Anonymous said...
27 years and for the union i bet this guy could awnser some questions about this companys tatics of unjust working conditions an regulations,
remember the next job the union could save could be yours, how confident are you time warner is for us the employee?
June 18, 2008 10:21 PM
Anonymous said...
?
June 19, 2008 9:31 PM
Anonymous said...
Research it i did union contracts 2 percent 2.5 percent raises , Time warner New York went union employees who were union had to fight for three years to get pension that non union workers had all long.( imagine you were to retire in those three years ) We have good benifits I know plenty people who struggle because they work for big companys with half what we have.
June 19, 2008 9:42 PM
Anonymous said...
the only question i have is how many members did those unions have? ("research it") the whole state is nothing to mess with power=numbers but you ad in how many miles of plant we have, replaced that! p.s what companys do your "people" work for "shoe" companies that can be shiped over seas. "we can't, fight for whats right because this sure the fuc* is not"
sincerly, one under paid tech that lives pay check to pay check, just to survive while living in an apartment, that tried to buy a house, that did not make enough to qualify to get a loan, for climbing poles allday,( wtih a ladder when they make better equipment to do the job(buckets, how cheap is this company, money over safety?) if you are non union i hope you are doing what you think is right because as former adelphia i have seen good people fired for bullshit reasons and if "dummy" dosen't like your awnsers he will look smart and pretend to know somethin about cable.
June 19, 2008 10:39 PM
Anonymous said...
OK, I get it now. This is "my opportunity to discuss my workplace issues".......as long as I agree with YOUR opinion.....otherwise I get attacked. You know, we all work here and see what really goes on. "Good people fired for bullshit reasons"???? Since when??? To quote you again from an earlier post: "I call BS on generic inflammatory comments without facts." Stick to the truth for a change and think about respecting other opinions than your own.
June 20, 2008 6:46 AM
Anonymous said...
I want one person to tell me what I have to lose in going Union.
I have talked with upper management of several companies in the Augusta and Gardiner areas that are not Union and I asked how they kept their employees happy.
A manager at a nationwide company with an office in Gardiner Maine stated that they filled out a job description for the desired position and went to the Department of Labor and asked what the average wages were for a job of that caliber. They then took that hourly rate and added 25 cents an hour to it. With their "career path" in place the economy recently accelerated and they began to lose employees while others became concerned, so they agreed to pay the existing employees more.
That company is NOT Union. They are a national company that deals with networking and troubleshooting on a level strikingly similar to ours. There is no reason that our company can't take similar actions and squash all talks of a Union.
I challenge anybody who reads this to go to the Department of Labor and see what the average wage is for a job of our caliber. We are in fact one of the largest phone companies in America.
And before anybody says it, I know I can go work for Fairpoint or whoever and make more, but I like my job and I like the people I work with. I enjoy working with customers on all levels, this job is exciting and challenging. I take pride in my work, I just want my company to take pride in me, and then I want them to show it with sincerity. And if they honestly can't increase my wages I'd just like to hear why.
I just want to be taken seriously, I have a family to look out for, as do most of you. It is not unreasonable for all of us to accept nothing but the best for those whom we care about.
June 20, 2008 8:09 PM
Anonymous said...
all i know is that after 8 hours is ot, if you work more than 13 hours a day the next day is paid off, double time on sundays, and free health insurance, also buckets instead of ladders, this is all from a company that dosen't offer as many products as we do, i heard throungh the great vine that they give there employees free dsl,a dish and free phone that we pay 20 bucks a month for? the reasons i'm hearing for people not for it is were going to lose benefits, there going to take "my" truck away, there going to take away my cable, no free clothes, the awnser is they can't take any thing away that is already in place.
June 20, 2008 9:09 PM
Anonymous said...
research it!!! if you think the union will get us double time on sundays ...bull... and your raise will be 2.5 or 2 percent a year stop crying i carry a ladder too. oh and i was able to buy a house ! if union could offer big lavish contracts they would produce examples of a contract they got in an other state .. but no havent seen that on any site have ya. you can pay some union dues iam not union noooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!
June 20, 2008 10:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Here's some stuff that I found when I did the research.
Oh...sorry to burst you bubble, but I got a mortgage approved too. Last time I checked, approval was primarily based on your credit history and current score. (FYI, I've been in IR for about two years.) So, unless you've been here substantially less than that, what we make was probably not the primary reason you were turned down....unless, of course, the house you wanted was just out of you price range. Anyway, check this stuff out. Nobody told me about this. Pro or Con...it looks like there's a lot of serious shit for us to consider here.
http://laborpains.org/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/owens-rosen-6-16-radio1.mp3
http://server1.laborpains.org/?p=867
http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/union-is-misleading-consumers-hurting,440332.shtml
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/cardCheck.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/theProblem.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/cardcheck/unionMythsFromUnionMouths.cfm
http://www.unionfacts.com/articles/crimeULLICO.cfm
While these sites all appear to be strongly opposed......the fact that these things are even in question is enough for me. My opinion counts, right?... or does it here on this blog? I'm confused. Can't say I'd enjoy being used as a pawn. Aaaaahhh,NO! I'm good, thanks. But, thanks for asking.
One more thing, BUCKETS FOR ALL??? That'll be really useful on the Old Port route. Can't wait to try finding a parking space for that!
June 21, 2008 8:36 AM
Anonymous said...
let me catch you two lock box heros from the big city up on some stuff so you can "think outside "your"box for a minute and understand why i as former adelphia feel this company is unjust.
1.) i've also have been in i/r for around 2 years and i have got a total of 38 cents in those 2 years
2.) "the career path" we just got after not having any raises in a little over a year and a half so everything was idle.
3) when portland got there christmas bonus we did not
4)we were promised to get retro paid for the cost of living raise, we did'nt,actually we never got one.
5.)workload haha never mine i won't go there.
June 21, 2008 6:04 PM
Anonymous said...
wow i/r for 2 years and you bought a house? wify must have a good job?
June 21, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
some of you need to realize that we are all aboard the same boat here, and whoever listed the links to the "unionfacts" should be aware that it is indeed an anti-union website and that OFCOURSE the stats will not be favorable.
if you honestly believe you are being treated well you must be fresh out of high school and living in your parents house.
at our current wage and slow level of raises and advancement this company needs to decide if they want to replace workers every year or two or keep ones with skill and talent. i am not making a wage greater than someone working at Wendys. i do have more skills, more education, more hazards in my job, but the pay is the same.
therein lies the problem. we need to stop pointing fingers at each other and start pointing them at TWC and ask them "Do you really want me to stay here?"
right now the union is the only recourse we have, as this company has shown through its actions and policies that they have little regard for our well being, both physical, and fiscal.
to the new kids whose bodies don't hurt every morning getting up, and think making $12/hr is great and don't use their health benefits, aren't married, because you're still young and healthy,and don't have kids to support, don't for one minute think you will feel this way 10 years from now.
now is the time to secure a better future for us all.
June 26, 2008 3:31 AM
Anonymous said...
To the pension guy...
You realize what $10,000/year will be worth in 25-30 years (the amount of time before most of us retire) and this is the current pension plan we have.
Toilet paper
June 26, 2008 3:36 AM
Anonymous said...
Finding a place to park my bucket...
now that's a problem i wish i had.
Maybe the old port guys could be issued a moped then if parking is the issue (i'm joking here we need to stop the infighting between the "big city" guys and the guys climbing the big sticks. you "city guys" know you're still making more money than us right?)
June 26, 2008 3:41 AM
DJ said...
Check out the link below to get the low-down on Richard Berman, the founder of unionfacts.com
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/center-for-union-facts/lifting-the-veil-on-richard-berman.html
June 26, 2008 10:41 AM
Comment deleted
This post has been removed by the author.
June 26, 2008 10:41 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/the-anti-union-network/chamber-of-commerce/coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html
June 26, 2008 6:03 PM
Anonymous said...
http://www.americanrightsatwork.org/
the-anti-union-network/
chamber-of-commerce/
coalition-for-a-democratic-workplace-exposed-20080424-557-273.html
June 26, 2008 6:04 PM
John said...
Whats goin on here?
June 26, 2008 7:47 PM
Anonymous said...
Im glad to see that I got my anti union paper work in the mail tonight from timewarner. They do not understand that this will hurt them more than us. We all need to stick together for the hard times to come very soon. But in the end we will be so better off. People should know that this will not be a quick fix, but instead a look to our future. We are all here because we like what we do and want to make this our career not just a job.
June 26, 2008 8:51 PM
brent marr said...
by now most of us have gotten the threating letter from time warner . this is the same scare tactics that took place in 2002 when we were trying to form a union . improvements were made along with promises . as the months went by the improvements faded away and the promises were forgoten . dont be fooled by timewarners sudden intrest in our work place problems . they are only trying to stop our unionizing efforts. in 2002 we had people in managment jobs that thought that we were justifyed in forming a union but were forced to speak out against our union efforts . a company that pays its ceo s in the millions and counts its profits in the billions can and should treat all of us much better . we will need to stick together and work together to gain improvements in our jobs . i have been to 8-10 union meetings so far and look foward to talking to more of my coworkers about how we can work together to gain improvements in our jobs . yes i am the 27 year guy .
June 27, 2008 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...
union no !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!hopefully people dont ruin Time Warner Maine by bringing in a union .Those who want it never worked in one before!I have its terrible. 7 year installer
June 28, 2008 12:20 AM
Anonymous said...
how does having the right to negotiate for fair wages and working conditions ruin anything? lets stand up for our families and ourselves.
June 28, 2008 8:33 AM
Voice of Reason said...
brent makes excellent points. I, for one, would love to see less bickering amongst ourselves. ask questions? absolutely. start fights between portland and the rest of the state? absolutely NOT! start fights between maintenance and IR techs? ABSOLUTELY NOT!
We got the letter. We can expecting mandatory pre-work meetings where the company wants to "listen to us."
Don't be fools. We have made it this far. If you know you DON'T want a union...that is your right. I respect that. I absolutely don't understand it, but we can agree to disagree.
What we don't need to do is start fighting amongst ourselves. If there are workers in your office that are anti-union just LEAVE THEM ALONE. We don't need %100 to win. We need %50 + 1. By trying to force your ideas on others all you will accomplish is alienating them. They in turn will fuel management with information, and hamper our efforts.
The beauty of a democracy is that everyone is entitled to his/her opinion and can vote accordingly.
Be educated. Be smart. And learn when to BE QUIET.
June 28, 2008 11:40 AM
Anonymous said...
Well listen, the major problem here is that if 50 + 1 gets union passed then the rest of us have to settle for small raises with caps. What do you honestly think union will do for you? Also people who dont want a union will be forced to pay 70 to 80 dollars in union dues a month.I am not willing to do that. Seems like everyone who wants union are people who like to cry alot! if people honestly think union will get them a bucket and 30 dollars per hour you foolish.what youll get is 75 cents an hour and have to pay for cable ,rr,phone full price. If you could show proof of other contracts with Time Warner from this union with such great results you would have by now!!!!!!!!!!!
June 28, 2008 2:50 PM
Voice of reason said...
Hey who's whining now! I was trying to be polite. I don't know what you're raises are NOW but they are SMALL <4%. I want a 40hr work week. Pay scale fitting my job. Better health plan. Don't call me foolish, I've done my homework. Yes, I think the people who are being the loudest about it are coming across like cry babies and whiners.
You're also crying and whining, and I can tell that you're completely happy making sub standard pay for the job you do, which tells me you are either not very smart or not very ambitious.
The IBEW doesn't have many contracts with TWC, so what? Comcast is about to go NATIONWIDE with the IBEW. Let's take a look at their contract.
I don't want a bucket. I want respect. This is a technical job, and a hazardous one. It is challenging mentally and physically. It wouldn't be unreasonable to be compensated proportionately.
Take YOUR own advice. STOP WHINING. You aren't going to change the minds of those of us who have already done our homework. You keep demanding information...get your ass to a meeting or call Steve Smith, or Jenn Nappi.
Most people know where they stand on this issue. Poor spelling, poor grammar, poor debating skills on the internet aren't going to sway anyone at this point.
Where do you get YOUR INFORMATION? .75/hr and losing free cable? Where are your facts.
It's time to put up or shut up. The day I have to pay for cable is the day they can come turn it off. You're a broken record and yes I can tell you're the same person over and over again. Your jr. high school method of using too many exclamation points is getting old, and is comparable to shouting to be the loudest to win a debate. We've heard you...we just don't care what you have to say!
June 28, 2008 4:17 PM
Fuck You Cocoon of denial I rule this board
Whats this i hear about a big union meeting jan 29 th at the STOCKHOUSE main st westbrook @ 6:00 PM. Maybe now is our chance to get a safty program with some teeth in it with good wages to boot.
When are the great improvements going to happen that timewarner has been promising ?.
NEVER
NEVER
NEVER
Im tired of work loads that dont allow for us to do the quality work that timewarner is always talking about. The pay is also hard to live on. When will this stop. The CEOs on top are making all the money and we are doing all the work.
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On the idle hill of summer,
Sleepy with the flow of streams,
Far I hear the steady drummer
Drumming like a noise in dreams.
Far and near and low and louder
On the roads of earth go by,
Dear to friends and food for powder,
Soldiers marching, all to die.
East and west on fields forgotten
Bleach the bones of comrades slain,
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Far the calling bugles hollo,
High the screaming fife replies,
Gay the files of scarlet follow:
Woman bore me, I will rise.
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was born in Camberwell, England on May 7, 1812. His father and mother nurtured in their son a love for and appreciation of fine arts, especially literature and music. With an enormous library housing thousands of volumes right in his home, Browning read insatiably and began writing original compositions before he turned ten years old. He preferred to be educated by private tutors or by teaching himself through reading as opposed to attending formal school, and he mastered Latin, Greek, and French by the time he was fourteen. After reading a volume of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry, Browning obsessed over his writing and strove to emulate the poet in almost every way, writing prolifically in Shelley’s style. He enrolled at the University of London in 1828, but felt stifled by the pace of the institution and left after less than one year.
In 1833, Browning published his first volume, titled Pauline: A Fragment of Confession. It was submitted anonymously and harshly criticized for its “morbid self-consciousness.” His next endeavour, Paracelsus (1835), debuted to positive reviews and stimulated relationships with fellow poets William Wordsworth and Thomas Carlyle. During that time he also … Madly in love with and devoted to Elizabeth, he dedicated his next collection, Men and Women, to her … saw some of his shorter poems published in The Monthly Repository. In the 1840s, Browning attempted writing drama and had several produced for the stage, but never achieved much status as a playwright. However, the dramatic monologues found in Browning’s dramas have been deemed perhaps the greatest aspect of his career as a poet because of their flawless rhythm and language.
Browning began corresponding with the poet Elizabeth Barrett after reading her book Poems. In May of 1845 he visited her, and four months later the two were married secretly, because of Barrett’s father disapproval. They moved to Florence and in 1849, their son Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning was born and Browning published Collected Poems. Madly in love with and devoted to Elizabeth, he dedicated his next collection, Men and Women, to her. The family lived quietly in Italy until Elizabeth died in 1861, when Browning and his son moved back to England. Once settled, he published Dramatis Personae (1863) and The Ring and the Book (1868), both of which were highly acclaimed collections of dramatic poems and brought Browning back into the focus of contemporary poetry. He continued publishing and produced an impressive number of volumes. Oxford University and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, awarded Browning honorary degrees in the early 1880s, around the same time the Browning Society was established. He died on December 12, 1889, in Venice, Italy. Despite his wishes to be buried in Venice, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, England.
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Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
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was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
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Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
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was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
Contest Rules
* First:
* Last:
* Email:
* Address 1:
Address 2:
* City:
* State or Province (US and Canada only):
Alabama Alaska Alberta American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Canada/Europe Armed Forces Pacific British Columbia California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Federated States of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Manitoba Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Brunswick New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Newfoundland North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ohio Oklahoma Ontario Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Prince Edward Island Puerto Rico Quebec Rhode Island Saskatchewan South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Yukon
* Zip Code:
* Country: United States Andorra Anguilla Antigua&Barbuda Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British VI Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Chile Croatia Cyprus Denmark Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lebanon Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Namibia Netherlands Netherlands Ant New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Portugal San Marino Saudi Arabia Seychelles Singapore Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St. Christopher St. Helena St. Kitts&Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Thailand Trinidad&Tobago Turks & Caicos United Arab Em. United Kingdom United States Vatican City Venezuela
Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
Greatest Love Poems | Greatest Children's Poems | Poets Corner | Poetry Quotes | Poetry IQ Test | Greatest Poets Trivia Quiz
Copyright ©2009 Poetry.com / ILP. All Rights Reserved. | Home | FAQs | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
Contest Rules
* First:
* Last:
* Email:
* Address 1:
Address 2:
* City:
* State or Province (US and Canada only):
Alabama Alaska Alberta American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Canada/Europe Armed Forces Pacific British Columbia California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Federated States of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Manitoba Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Brunswick New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Newfoundland North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ohio Oklahoma Ontario Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Prince Edward Island Puerto Rico Quebec Rhode Island Saskatchewan South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Yukon
* Zip Code:
* Country: United States Andorra Anguilla Antigua&Barbuda Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British VI Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Chile Croatia Cyprus Denmark Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lebanon Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Namibia Netherlands Netherlands Ant New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Portugal San Marino Saudi Arabia Seychelles Singapore Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St. Christopher St. Helena St. Kitts&Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Thailand Trinidad&Tobago Turks & Caicos United Arab Em. United Kingdom United States Vatican City Venezuela
Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
Greatest Love Poems | Greatest Children's Poems | Poets Corner | Poetry Quotes | Poetry IQ Test | Greatest Poets Trivia Quiz
Copyright ©2009 Poetry.com / ILP. All Rights Reserved. | Home | FAQs | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the fourth of seven children, three of whom died in infancy. His father, William, died when Emerson was only eight years old. At nine years old, he attended the Boston Public Latin School for five years until he enrolled in Harvard College. After a very brief teaching job, Emerson studied at the Harvard Divinity School to be a Unitarian minister in the tradition of his family, and in 1829 was ordained at Boston’s Second Church. That same year, he married seventeen-year-old Ellen Tucker. When she died in 1831 from tuberculosis, Emerson found it increasingly difficult to carry on with his duties as a preacher, which at that point he found meaningless. In 1832, he resigned from the church and left New England for Europe.
Emerson discovered many novel ideas and initiated various new friendships during his travels abroad. While visiting botanical gardens in Paris, he decided he would become a naturalist, and on an excursion to the United Kingdom, he met Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, writers with whom Emerson became a close friend. … Emerson’s optimism and unfailing devotion to very basic ideas drew some harsh criticism …He returned to America in 1833 and began publicly lecturing on science; soon he was invited to give multiple lecture series’ on literature, history, and culture. Amid the schedule of his new career, Emerson married Lydia Jackson in 1835 and moved to Concord, Massachusetts.
His first publication, a volume of essays titled Nature, was printed in 1836 and outlined what had become Emerson’s core beliefs. With the collection, he established himself as the head of the Transcendentalist movement through his fervent conviction that all entities are essentially either larger or smaller versions of the universe in its entirety, and that knowledge can only be ascertained through personal experience. He placed great value on human intuition and spirituality, proclaiming, “Trust thyself,” and felt a strong necessity for a genuine relationship with the natural world.
Emerson continued to publish collections of essays, such as Representative Men (1850) and Conduct of Life (1860), and of poetry, such as Parnassus (1874), explaining and celebrating Transcendentalism, as well as lecturing on various topics. He also edited the Transcendentalist journal The Dial from 1842 to 1844. Emerson’s optimism and unfailing devotion to very basic ideas drew some harsh criticism, but mostly attracted interest in and attention to his perspectives. He died on April 27, 1882 of pneumonia. Several of Emerson’s collected lectures and additional essays were published posthumously.
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A. E. Housman (1859–1936)
On the Idle Hill of Summer
On the idle hill of summer,
Sleepy with the flow of streams,
Far I hear the steady drummer
Drumming like a noise in dreams.
Far and near and low and louder
On the roads of earth go by,
Dear to friends and food for powder,
Soldiers marching, all to die.
East and west on fields forgotten
Bleach the bones of comrades slain,
Lovely lads and dead and rotten;
None that go return again.
Far the calling bugles hollo,
High the screaming fife replies,
Gay the files of scarlet follow:
Woman bore me, I will rise.
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was born in Camberwell, England on May 7, 1812. His father and mother nurtured in their son a love for and appreciation of fine arts, especially literature and music. With an enormous library housing thousands of volumes right in his home, Browning read insatiably and began writing original compositions before he turned ten years old. He preferred to be educated by private tutors or by teaching himself through reading as opposed to attending formal school, and he mastered Latin, Greek, and French by the time he was fourteen. After reading a volume of Percy Bysshe Shelley’s poetry, Browning obsessed over his writing and strove to emulate the poet in almost every way, writing prolifically in Shelley’s style. He enrolled at the University of London in 1828, but felt stifled by the pace of the institution and left after less than one year.
In 1833, Browning published his first volume, titled Pauline: A Fragment of Confession. It was submitted anonymously and harshly criticized for its “morbid self-consciousness.” His next endeavour, Paracelsus (1835), debuted to positive reviews and stimulated relationships with fellow poets William Wordsworth and Thomas Carlyle. During that time he also … Madly in love with and devoted to Elizabeth, he dedicated his next collection, Men and Women, to her … saw some of his shorter poems published in The Monthly Repository. In the 1840s, Browning attempted writing drama and had several produced for the stage, but never achieved much status as a playwright. However, the dramatic monologues found in Browning’s dramas have been deemed perhaps the greatest aspect of his career as a poet because of their flawless rhythm and language.
Browning began corresponding with the poet Elizabeth Barrett after reading her book Poems. In May of 1845 he visited her, and four months later the two were married secretly, because of Barrett’s father disapproval. They moved to Florence and in 1849, their son Robert Wiedeman Barrett Browning was born and Browning published Collected Poems. Madly in love with and devoted to Elizabeth, he dedicated his next collection, Men and Women, to her. The family lived quietly in Italy until Elizabeth died in 1861, when Browning and his son moved back to England. Once settled, he published Dramatis Personae (1863) and The Ring and the Book (1868), both of which were highly acclaimed collections of dramatic poems and brought Browning back into the focus of contemporary poetry. He continued publishing and produced an impressive number of volumes. Oxford University and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, awarded Browning honorary degrees in the early 1880s, around the same time the Browning Society was established. He died on December 12, 1889, in Venice, Italy. Despite his wishes to be buried in Venice, he was buried in Westminster Abbey, England.
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Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
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Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Poems from Robert BrowningA Pretty Woman
A Woman’s Last Word
Cristina
In Three Days
The Year’s at the Spring
My Last Duchess
Life in a Love
Two in the Campagna
Meeting at Night
Love in a Life
The Last Ride Together
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
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Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
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was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
Contest Rules
* First:
* Last:
* Email:
* Address 1:
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* State or Province (US and Canada only):
Alabama Alaska Alberta American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Canada/Europe Armed Forces Pacific British Columbia California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Federated States of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Manitoba Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Brunswick New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Newfoundland North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ohio Oklahoma Ontario Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Prince Edward Island Puerto Rico Quebec Rhode Island Saskatchewan South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Yukon
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* Country: United States Andorra Anguilla Antigua&Barbuda Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British VI Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Chile Croatia Cyprus Denmark Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lebanon Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Namibia Netherlands Netherlands Ant New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Portugal San Marino Saudi Arabia Seychelles Singapore Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St. Christopher St. Helena St. Kitts&Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Thailand Trinidad&Tobago Turks & Caicos United Arab Em. United Kingdom United States Vatican City Venezuela
Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
Greatest Love Poems | Greatest Children's Poems | Poets Corner | Poetry Quotes | Poetry IQ Test | Greatest Poets Trivia Quiz
Copyright ©2009 Poetry.com / ILP. All Rights Reserved. | Home | FAQs | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
was born on April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, Missouri. Born Marguerite Johnson, she and her older brother, Bailey, lived in the city until their parents divorced in 1931. They were sent to Stamps, Arkansas, to live with their grandmother. Four years later, the siblings moved to Chicago, Illinois, to be with their mother but, not long after the relocation, Angelou was sexually abused by her mother’s boyfriend. She returned to Stamps with Bailey but refused to speak to anyone except her brother for nearly four years after the incident.
In 1940, Bailey and Angelou moved to San Francisco, California, to try once again to live with their mother. Angelou dropped out of high school in 1944 and worked as the first African-American cable car operator in the city. She soon returned to her education and graduated from Mission High School in 1945. That same year she gave birth to her son, Guy. Angelou left home soon after Guy’s birth and worked tirelessly to support herself and her young child. She married her first husband, Tosh Angelos, in 1952. From an early age, Angelou had loved performing–singing, dancing, and acting–and in 1953 she began to work as a performer. After she toured nationally with “Porgy and Bess” from 1954 to 1955, she started to write song lyrics that inspired poetry, short stories, and a move to New York to join the Harlem Writers Guild in 1959.
Angelou’s career from that point on is best described as a whirlwind of talent, creativity, honesty, and ambition. She moved with Guy to Africa after her marriage to Vusumzi Make and edited newspapers in Cairo, Egypt, and Accra, Ghana. She taught at the University of Ghana’s School of Music and Drama. … her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die … At home in the United States, Angelou worked closely with Malcom X and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., during the civil rights movement, and was devastated when both were assassinated. She turned to writing, and published the first of her many autobiographical works, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, in 1970. The following year, she published her first Pulitzer Prize-nominated collection of poems, titled Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Die. She took the worlds of television, cinema, and Broadway by storm writing, producing, directing, and starring in countless productions, many of which won very prestigious awards. Her screenplay for the 1972 film Georgia, Georgia was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize and she herself was nominated for two Tony Awards for her performances in Look Away (1973) and Roots (1977).
Angelou continues to write poetry and autobiographical works as well as involve herself in acting and television. She currently teaches at Wake Forest University in North Carolina.
Go to Greatest Poets
Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
Contest Rules
* First:
* Last:
* Email:
* Address 1:
Address 2:
* City:
* State or Province (US and Canada only):
Alabama Alaska Alberta American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Canada/Europe Armed Forces Pacific British Columbia California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Federated States of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Manitoba Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Brunswick New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Newfoundland North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ohio Oklahoma Ontario Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Prince Edward Island Puerto Rico Quebec Rhode Island Saskatchewan South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Yukon
* Zip Code:
* Country: United States Andorra Anguilla Antigua&Barbuda Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British VI Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Chile Croatia Cyprus Denmark Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lebanon Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Namibia Netherlands Netherlands Ant New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Portugal San Marino Saudi Arabia Seychelles Singapore Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St. Christopher St. Helena St. Kitts&Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Thailand Trinidad&Tobago Turks & Caicos United Arab Em. United Kingdom United States Vatican City Venezuela
Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Our List of
Greatest PoetsAiken, Conrad
Alighieri, Dante
Angelou, Maya
Ashbery, John
Atwood, Margaret
Auden, W. H.
Baraka, Amiri
Baudelaire, Charles
Benét, Stephen Vincent
Bernstein, Charles
Berryman, John
Bishop, Elizabeth
Blake, William
Bradstreet, Anne
Brontë, Emily
Brooks, Gwendolyn
Browning, Elizabeth Barrett
Browning, Robert
Burns, Robert
Byron, Lord
Carroll, Lewis
Chaucer, Geoffrey
Clare, John
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor
Crane, Hart
Creeley, Robert
Cullen, Countee
Cummings, E. E.
Dickinson, Emily
Donne, John
Doolittle, Hilda
Dumas, Henry
Dunbar, Paul Laurence
Duncan, Robert
Eliot, T. S.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Frost, Robert
Ginsberg, Allen
Hardy, Thomas
Herbert, George
Herrick, Robert
Hollander, John
Hood, Thomas
Hopkins, Gerard Manley
Hughes, Langston
Hughes, Ted
Hunt, Leigh
Keats, John
Kipling, Rudyard
Larkin, Philip
Lawrence, D. H.
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth
Lowell, Amy
Lowell, Robert
Loy, Mina
Marvell, Andrew
McKay, Claude
Merrill, James
Millay, Edna St. Vincent
Milton, John
Moore, Marianne
Moore, Thomas
Neruda, Pablo
O'hara, Frank
Olds, Sharon
Olson, Charles
Patchen, Kenneth
Plath, Sylvia
Poe, Edgar Allan
Pope, Alexander
Pound, Ezra
Raleigh, Sir Walter
Ransom, John Crowe
Rich, Adrienne
Rilke, Rainer Maria
Rimbaud, Arthur
Robinson, Edwin Arlington
Roethke, Theodore
Rossetti, Dante Gabriel
Sandburg, Carl
Sexton, Anne
Shakespeare, William
Shelley, Percy Bysshe
Silverstein, Shel
Snodgrass, W. D.
Snyder, Gary
Stein, Gertrude
Stevens, Wallace
Tate, Allen
Teasdale, Sara
Tennyson, Lord Alfred
Thomas, Dylan
Thoreau, Henry David
Tolkien, J.R.R.
Toomer, Jean
Updike, John
Vallejo, César
Verlaine, Paul
Wagoner, David
Waldman, Anne
Warren, Robert Penn
Wheatley, Phillis
Whitman, Walt
Wilde, Oscar
Williams, William Carlos
Wordsworth, William
Wyatt, Thomas
Yeats, W. B.
Zukofsky, Louis
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Free Contest | Poetic Techniques | Poetic History | Poets Workshop | Rhyming Dictionary | Poetry Glossary | Greatest Poets | Greatest Poems
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Ralph Waldo Emerson was born on May 25, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts. He was the fourth of seven children, three of whom died in infancy. His father, William, died when Emerson was only eight years old. At nine years old, he attended the Boston Public Latin School for five years until he enrolled in Harvard College. After a very brief teaching job, Emerson studied at the Harvard Divinity School to be a Unitarian minister in the tradition of his family, and in 1829 was ordained at Boston’s Second Church. That same year, he married seventeen-year-old Ellen Tucker. When she died in 1831 from tuberculosis, Emerson found it increasingly difficult to carry on with his duties as a preacher, which at that point he found meaningless. In 1832, he resigned from the church and left New England for Europe.
Emerson discovered many novel ideas and initiated various new friendships during his travels abroad. While visiting botanical gardens in Paris, he decided he would become a naturalist, and on an excursion to the United Kingdom, he met Thomas Carlyle and Samuel Taylor Coleridge, writers with whom Emerson became a close friend. … Emerson’s optimism and unfailing devotion to very basic ideas drew some harsh criticism …He returned to America in 1833 and began publicly lecturing on science; soon he was invited to give multiple lecture series’ on literature, history, and culture. Amid the schedule of his new career, Emerson married Lydia Jackson in 1835 and moved to Concord, Massachusetts.
His first publication, a volume of essays titled Nature, was printed in 1836 and outlined what had become Emerson’s core beliefs. With the collection, he established himself as the head of the Transcendentalist movement through his fervent conviction that all entities are essentially either larger or smaller versions of the universe in its entirety, and that knowledge can only be ascertained through personal experience. He placed great value on human intuition and spirituality, proclaiming, “Trust thyself,” and felt a strong necessity for a genuine relationship with the natural world.
Emerson continued to publish collections of essays, such as Representative Men (1850) and Conduct of Life (1860), and of poetry, such as Parnassus (1874), explaining and celebrating Transcendentalism, as well as lecturing on various topics. He also edited the Transcendentalist journal The Dial from 1842 to 1844. Emerson’s optimism and unfailing devotion to very basic ideas drew some harsh criticism, but mostly attracted interest in and attention to his perspectives. He died on April 27, 1882 of pneumonia. Several of Emerson’s collected lectures and additional essays were published posthumously.
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William Shakespeare ’s accepted birth date, while not positively known, is April 23, 1564. The son of merchant John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, Shakespeare lived with his family in Stratford-upon-Avon and attended the local school, studying Latin, Greek, and classic literature. It is likely that Shakespeare left school in his mid-teenage years to work because of the financial difficulty his father experienced, and he quite possibly worked for his father. When he turned eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was twenty-six. The couple had two daughters, Susanna and Judith, and one son, Hamnet, who was Judith’s twin and died at age eleven.
Shakespeare’s life between the twins’ birth in 1585 and the year 1592 is a collection of conjecture, but there seems to be little doubt that he began his acting and writing careers during those “lost” years. He probably focused primarily on playwriting, but when the… His plays, which fit into four main categories of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance … theatres closed because of the Black Plague, Shakespeare began writing sonnets as well as two longer poems, the widely acclaimed Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594). The new poet did not, however, wholly abandon his career as an actor; he joined the foremost acting troupe in England, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, in 1594. Five years later, Shakespeare and others from the company built and operated the world-famous Globe Theater in London.
Throughout Shakespeare’s extraordinarily prolific writing career, he produced over thirty dramatic works and an impressive collection of sonnets. His plays, which fit into four main categories of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance, drew such attention at the time of their original performance and continue to draw such unrequited attention in the present age that they are some of the most performed scripts in theatrical history. They include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595), Romeo and Juliet (1596), Julius Caesar (1599), Hamlet (1600), and The Tempest (1611). Similarly, his poetry spawned the terminology “Shakespearean sonnet,” an expression used to describe the three quatrains-one couplet structure he created for his sonnets. His plays were not published formally until seven years after his death when, in 1623, fellow members of Lord Chamberlain’s company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, published thirty-six of his plays in First Folio. In the same way, Shakespeare’s sonnets were unpublished until 1609, and even then he was not consulted in the printing.
After living in retirement in Stratford for several years, Shakespeare died on his fifty-second birthday, April 23, 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, where he had been baptized.
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Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
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William Shakespeare ’s accepted birth date, while not positively known, is April 23, 1564. The son of merchant John Shakespeare and Mary Arden, Shakespeare lived with his family in Stratford-upon-Avon and attended the local school, studying Latin, Greek, and classic literature. It is likely that Shakespeare left school in his mid-teenage years to work because of the financial difficulty his father experienced, and he quite possibly worked for his father. When he turned eighteen, Shakespeare married Anne Hathaway, who was twenty-six. The couple had two daughters, Susanna and Judith, and one son, Hamnet, who was Judith’s twin and died at age eleven.
Shakespeare’s life between the twins’ birth in 1585 and the year 1592 is a collection of conjecture, but there seems to be little doubt that he began his acting and writing careers during those “lost” years. He probably focused primarily on playwriting, but when the… His plays, which fit into four main categories of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance … theatres closed because of the Black Plague, Shakespeare began writing sonnets as well as two longer poems, the widely acclaimed Venus and Adonis (1593) and The Rape of Lucrece (1594). The new poet did not, however, wholly abandon his career as an actor; he joined the foremost acting troupe in England, Lord Chamberlain’s Men, in 1594. Five years later, Shakespeare and others from the company built and operated the world-famous Globe Theater in London.
Throughout Shakespeare’s extraordinarily prolific writing career, he produced over thirty dramatic works and an impressive collection of sonnets. His plays, which fit into four main categories of history, comedy, tragedy, and romance, drew such attention at the time of their original performance and continue to draw such unrequited attention in the present age that they are some of the most performed scripts in theatrical history. They include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1595), Romeo and Juliet (1596), Julius Caesar (1599), Hamlet (1600), and The Tempest (1611). Similarly, his poetry spawned the terminology “Shakespearean sonnet,” an expression used to describe the three quatrains-one couplet structure he created for his sonnets. His plays were not published formally until seven years after his death when, in 1623, fellow members of Lord Chamberlain’s company, John Heminges and Henry Condell, published thirty-six of his plays in First Folio. In the same way, Shakespeare’s sonnets were unpublished until 1609, and even then he was not consulted in the printing.
After living in retirement in Stratford for several years, Shakespeare died on his fifty-second birthday, April 23, 1616, and was buried in Holy Trinity Church, where he had been baptized.
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Title of Your Poem:
I hereby certify that the above poem is my original work and that all rights to this poem are mine. I am entering this poem as an honest and true effort of my personal creativity and unique artistic vision, and I understand that it will be published on the Internet as my original work and under my own copyright by The International Library of Poetry (Poetry.com). The community of poets who use this forum for self-expression will also be able to view and share my poem, always as my original work and under my own copyright in the various ways described on this website.
I would like to receive relevant email communications from Poetry.com, Poetryoffers.com, and their affiliates!
Contest Rules
* First:
* Last:
* Email:
* Address 1:
Address 2:
* City:
* State or Province (US and Canada only):
Alabama Alaska Alberta American Samoa Arizona Arkansas Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Canada/Europe Armed Forces Pacific British Columbia California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Federated States of Micronesia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Manitoba Marshall Islands Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Brunswick New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York Newfoundland North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Northwest Territories Nova Scotia Ohio Oklahoma Ontario Oregon Palau Pennsylvania Prince Edward Island Puerto Rico Quebec Rhode Island Saskatchewan South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Yukon
* Zip Code:
* Country: United States Andorra Anguilla Antigua&Barbuda Australia Austria Bahamas Bahrain Barbados Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Botswana Brazil British VI Brunei Canada Cayman Islands Chile Croatia Cyprus Denmark Dominica Ecuador El Salvador Faroe Islands Finland France Germany Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guatemala Guyana Haiti Honduras Iceland Ireland Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Kuwait Lebanon Liechtenstein Luxembourg Malaysia Malta Mexico Namibia Netherlands Netherlands Ant New Zealand Norway Panama Paraguay Portugal San Marino Saudi Arabia Seychelles Singapore Slovenia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka St. Christopher St. Helena St. Kitts&Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent Sweden Switzerland Thailand Trinidad&Tobago Turks & Caicos United Arab Em. United Kingdom United States Vatican City Venezuela
Please submit only one poem per month for contest.
Gwendolyn Brooks was born on June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas. Shortly after her birth, Brooks’ parents David and Keziah moved their family to Chicago, Illinois, the city with which Brooks most strongly associated herself. Her life was, even with the daily trials of a normal family, very conventional. She attended several different schools before she graduated from Wilson Junior College 1936. Her experiences at both predominantly White and all-Black institutions shaped her perceptions of race as revealed in her writing.
Brooks began writing poetry during her elementary school years and was published in 1930 at age thirteen. Her poem, “Eventide,” was printed in American Childhood Magazine and from that point, her poetry sprouted up in newspapers, especially after she joined the staff of the Chicago Defender in 1934, when she was only seventeen. Four years later, she married Henry Blakely and gave birth to her son Henry Jr. in 1940. She wrote prolifically between his birth and her daughter Nora’s birth in 1951, and published her first two collections of poetry. A Street in Bronzeville (1945) and Annie Allen (1949) brought her a great deal of praise; the latter won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize, making Brooks the first African-American to be honored with such an award.
Brooks’ teaching career began at Columbia College in Chicago in 1963 and the poet went on to teach at other schools, including Northeastern Illinois University, Columbia University, New York, and the University of Wisconsin. In the late sixties, she felt the desire to become more active in the Black arts movement, and although her writing did not change dramatically with this conscious decision, her tone developed very slightly to be subtly angry and dissident. However, her poetry stayed true to her simplistic, objective depictions of everyday life in the city. She experimented with new poetic forms in her writing as well as utilized classic techniques, but regardless of the meter, her poems featured characters with whom her readers could relate. Brooks’ observations were not harsh editorials about the city’s detrimental effect on its populace; rather, she practiced honesty and proposed solutions in her verses.
Brooks wrote several works of prose during her writing career, such as Maud Martha (1953) and Bronzeville Boys and Girls (1956). She was named Poet Laureate of the state of Illinois in 1968 and wrote industriously until her death in Chicago in December of 2000.
Gwendolyn Brooks was born on June 7, 1917, in Topeka, Kansas. Shortly after her birth, Brooks’ parents David and Keziah moved their family to Chicago, Illinois, the city with which Brooks most strongly associated herself. Her life was, even with the daily trials of a normal family, very conventional. She attended several different schools before she graduated from Wilson Junior College 1936. Her experiences at both predominantly White and all-Black institutions shaped her perceptions of race as revealed in her writing.
Brooks began writing poetry during her elementary school years and was published in 1930 at age thirteen. Her poem, “Eventide,” was printed in American Childhood Magazine and from that point, her poetry sprouted up in newspapers, especially after she joined the staff of the Chicago Defender in 1934, when she was only seventeen. Four years later, she married Henry Blakely and gave birth to her son Henry Jr. in 1940. She wrote prolifically between his birth and her daughter Nora’s birth in 1951, and published her first two collections of poetry. A Street in Bronzeville (1945) and Annie Allen (1949) brought her a great deal of praise; the latter won the 1950 Pulitzer Prize, making Brooks the first African-American to be honored with such an award.
Brooks’ teaching career began at Columbia College in Chicago in 1963 and the poet went on to teach at other schools, including Northeastern Illinois University, Columbia University, New York, and the University of Wisconsin. In the late sixties, she felt the desire to become more active in the Black arts movement, and although her writing did not change dramatically with this conscious decision, her tone developed very slightly to be subtly angry and dissident. However, her poetry stayed true to her simplistic, objective depictions of everyday life in the city. She experimented with new poetic forms in her writing as well as utilized classic techniques, but regardless of the meter, her poems featured characters with whom her readers could relate. Brooks’ observations were not harsh editorials about the city’s detrimental effect on its populace; rather, she practiced honesty and proposed solutions in her verses.
Brooks wrote several works of prose during her writing career, such as Maud Martha (1953) and Bronzeville Boys and Girls (1956). She was named Poet Laureate of the state of Illinois in 1968 and wrote industriously until her death in Chicago in December of 2000.
Countee Cullen was born on March 30, 1903, to Elizabeth Thomas Lucas. The location of his birth is not certain, but it is assumed he was born in either New York City or Louisville, Kentucky. His father is also unknown. In 1916, Cullen was living in the Bronx with a woman named Amanda Porter, generally assumed to be his grandmother, and attended school under the name Countee Porter. In 1918, after Porter’s death, he was adopted informally by a Methodist pastor, Reverend Frederick A. Cullen and his wife, Carolyn, and moved to live with them in Harlem. He attended from the prestigious Dewitt Clinton High School, where he enthusiastically participated in a myriad of school activities, such as serving in his student government and editing the school’s newspaper and literary magazine. He went on to study at New York University with a Regents Scholarship and earned a bachelor’s degree in 1925. He earned his master’s degree just one year later from Harvard University, Massachusetts.
Throughout his years in school, Cullen’s poetry was published in several nationwide magazines and newspapers. The young author, who began writing poetry at fourteen years old, was also winning an abundance of prestigious awards for his work, so when his first collection, Color, was published in 1925 he was already … Cullen took a position teaching English and French at New York City Junior High School …a well-known poet. His poems centered on race, but was exalted for presenting the issues in such a classical tradition. Cullen’s second collection, Copper Sun (1927), was not as well received because he did not address racial subjects as directly as his readers would have liked. However, he had been reared in a chiefly White environment and did not have the experience to socially comment on the matters brought to the forefront in the Harlem Renaissance. At that time, Cullen also helped edit the literary magazine Opportunity and wrote a regular column for the publication.
In 1928, Cullen published his third collection of poetry, titled The Ballad of the Brown Girl. That same year, he married W. E. B. DuBois’ daughter Nina Yolande DuBois in New York City and moved to Paris, France after receiving a Guggenheim Fellowship. His wife soon joined him abroad, but two years later filed for divorce when she learned Cullen was sexually attracted to men. Cullen’s writing after his first marriage did not receive the acclaim that his earlier writing achieved, but his novel One Way to Heaven (1932) was honored during the Harlem Renaissance as was his children’s literature. Cullen took a position teaching English and French at New York City Junior High School, even though he was offered jobs at several universities and colleges. He remarried Ida Mae Roberson in 1940 and taught until his death on January 9, 1946 in New York.
John Berryman (born John Allyn Smith) was born in MacAlester, Oklahoma, on October 25, 1914. He attended Catholic boarding school with his younger brother until the family moved to Tampa, Florida, where Berryman’s parents, John Allyn Smith and Martha Shaver Little Smith, had purchased a restaurant and planned to speculate land. However, the boom in Florida ended abruptly in early 1926 which caused Berryman’s family to lose much of their money. Martha entered into an affair with her landlord, John Angus Berryman and, on June 26, 1926, her husband John was found shot dead in front of the apartment. The police reported the incident as a suicide. Two months after Smith’s death, Martha married John Angus Berryman, changed her name to Jill Angel, and changed her oldest son’s name to John Allyn McAlpin Berryman.
The severely disjointed family moved to Queens, New York, where Berryman was enrolled in a Connecticut boarding school. He excelled academically but not socially, and tried to commit suicide by throwing himself on tracks in front of an oncoming train; luckily he was pulled away in time. After graduating from boarding school a year early, Berryman studied at Columbia University, New York, and attended Cambridge University, Massachusetts. Several of his poems were published in various newspapers and magazines and in 1940 some of his work was included in Five Young American Poets. Two years later, Berryman had his very own collection published, entitled Poems. He then began to teach at several universities, including Wayne State University in Michigan, Harvard in Massachusetts, Princeton in New Jersey, and the University of Minnesota, where he taught until his death. He continued to write poetry and Berryman’s subsequent volumes included The Dispossessed (1948), Homage to Mistress Bradstreet (1956), 77 Dream Songs (1964), for which Berryman was awarded a Pulitzer Prize, The Dream Songs (1969), and Love and Fame (1970).
Throughout his life Berryman was plagued by drunkenness, nervous exhaustion, and failed romantic relationships. He was hospitalized for alcoholism and divorced three times. However, his innovative poetry searched the flawed human mind so seamlessly that Berryman was elected to the Academy of American Poets in 1966. He served as Chancellor from 1968 until his death in 1972, when he threw himself from a bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota
No answer.
"TOM!"
No answer.
"What's gone with that boy, I wonder? You TOM!"
No answer.
The old lady pulled her spectacles down and looked over them about the room; then she put them up and looked out under them. She seldom or never looked THROUGH them for so small a thing as a boy; they were her state pair, the pride of her heart, and were built for "style," not service—she could have seen through a pair of stove-lids just as well. She looked perplexed for a moment, and then said, not fiercely, but still loud enough for the furniture to hear:
"Well, I lay if I get hold of you I'll—"
She did not finish, for by this time she was bending down and punching under the bed with the broom, and so she needed breath to punctuate the punches with. She resurrected nothing but the cat.
"I never did see the beat of that boy!"
She went to the open door and stood in it and looked out among the tomato vines and "jimpson" weeds that constituted the garden. No Tom. So she lifted up her voice at an angle calculated for distance and shouted:
"Y-o-u-u TOM!"
There was a slight noise behind her and she turned just in time to seize a small boy by the slack of his roundabout and arrest his flight.
"There! I might 'a' thought of that closet. What you been doing in there?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing! Look at your hands. And look at your mouth. What IS that truck?"
"I don't know, aunt."
"Well, I know. It's jam—that's what it is. Forty times I've said if you didn't let that jam alone I'd skin you. Hand me that switch."
The switch hovered in the air—the peril was —
"My! Look behind you, aunt!"
The old lady whirled round, and snatched her skirts out of danger. The lad fled on the instant, scrambled up the high board-fence, and disappeared over it.
His aunt Polly stood surprised a moment, and then broke into a gentle laugh.
"Hang the boy, can't I never learn anything? Ain't he played me tricks enough like that for me to be out for him by this time? But old fools is the fools there is. Can't learn an old dog new tricks, as the saying is. But my goodness, he never plays them alike, two days, and how is a body to know what's coming? He 'pears to know just how long he can torment me before I get my dander up, and he knows if he can make out to put me off for a minute or make me laugh, it's all down again and I can't hit him a lick. I ain't doing my duty by that boy, and that's the Lord's truth, goodness knows. Spare the rod and spile the child, as the Good Book says. I'm a laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He's full of the Old Scratch, but laws-a-me! he's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him, . Every time I let him off, my conscience does hurt me so, and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. Well-a-well, man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble, as the Scripture says, and I reckon it's so. He'll play hookey this evening, * and [* Southwestern for "afternoon"] I'll just be obleeged to make him work, to-morrow, to punish him. It's mighty hard to make him work Saturdays, when all the boys is having holiday, but he hates work more than he hates anything else, and I've GOT to do some of my duty by him, or I'll be the ruination of the child."
Tom did play hookey, and he had a very good time. He got back home barely in season to help Jim, the small colored boy, saw next-day's wood and split the kindlings before supper—at least he was there in time to tell his adventures to Jim while Jim did three-fourths of the work. Tom's younger brother (or rather half-brother) Sid was already through with his part of the work (picking up chips), for he was a quiet boy, and had no adventurous, ways.
While Tom was eating his supper, and stealing sugar as opportunity offered, Aunt Polly asked him questions that were full of guile, and very deep—for she wanted to trap him into damaging revealments. Like many other simple-hearted souls, it was her pet vanity to believe she was endowed with a talent for dark and mysterious diplomacy, and she loved to her most transparent devices as marvels of low cunning. Said she:
"Tom, it was middling warm in school, warn't it?"
"Yes'm."
"Powerful warm, warn't it?"
"Yes'm."
"Didn't you want to go in a-swimming, Tom?"
A bit of a scare shot through Tom—a touch of uncomfortable suspicion. He searched Aunt Polly's face, but it told him nothing. So he said:
"No'm—well, not very much."
The old lady reached out her hand and felt Tom's shirt, and said:
"But you ain't too warm now, though." And it flattered her to reflect that she had discovered that the shirt was dry without anybody knowing that that was what she had in her mind. But in spite of her, Tom knew where the wind lay, now. So he forestalled what might be the next move:
"Some of us pumped on our heads—mine's damp yet. See?"
Aunt Polly was vexed to think she had overlooked that bit of circumstantial evidence, and missed a trick. Then she had a new inspiration:
"Tom, you didn't have to undo your shirt collar where I sewed it, to pump on your head, did you? Unbutton your jacket!"
The trouble vanished out of Tom's face. He opened his jacket. His shirt collar was securely sewed.
"Bother! Well, go 'long with you. I'd made sure you'd played hookey and been a-swimming. But I forgive ye, Tom. I reckon you're a kind of a singed cat, as the saying is—better'n you look. THIS time."
She was half sorry her sagacity had miscarried, and half glad that Tom had stumbled into obedient for once.
But Sidney said:
"Well, now, if I didn't think you sewed his collar with white thread, but it's black."
"Why, I did sew it with white! Tom!"
But Tom did not wait for the rest. As he went out at the door he said:
"Siddy, I'll lick you for that."
In a safe place Tom examined two large needles which were thrust into the lapels of his jacket, and had thread bound about them—one needle carried white thread and the other black. He said:
"She'd never noticed if it hadn't been for Sid. Confound it! sometimes she sews it with white, and sometimes she sews it with black. I wish to she'd stick to one or t'other—I can't keep the run of 'em. But I bet you I'll lam Sid for that. I'll learn him!"
He was not the Model Boy of the village. He knew the model boy very well though—and loathed him.
Within two minutes, or even less, he had forgotten all his troubles. Not because his troubles were one whit less heavy and bitter to him than a man's are to a man, but because a new and powerful interest bore them down and drove them out of his mind for the time—just as men's misfortunes are forgotten in the of new enterprises. This new interest was a valued novelty in whistling, which he had just acquired from a negro, and he was suffering to practise it . It consisted in a peculiar bird-like turn, a sort of liquid warble, produced by touching the tongue to the roof of the mouth at short intervals in the midst of the music—the reader probably remembers how to do it, if he has ever been a boy. Diligence and attention soon gave him the knack of it, and he strode down the street with his mouth full of harmony and his soul full of gratitude. He felt much as an astronomer feels who has discovered a new planet—no doubt, as far as strong, deep, unalloyed pleasure is concerned, the advantage was with the boy, not the astronomer.
The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him—a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too—well dressed on a week-day. This was simply . His cap was a dainty thing, his blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes on—and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved—but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time. Finally Tom said:
"I can lick you!"
"I'd like to see you try it."
"Well, I can do it."
"No you can't, either."
"Yes I can."
"No you can't."
"I can."
"You can't."
"Can!"
"Can't!"
An uncomfortable pause. Then Tom said:
"What's your name?"
"'Tisn't any of your business, maybe."
"Well I 'low I'll MAKE it my business."
"Well why don't you?"
"If you say much, I will."
"Much—much—MUCH. There now."
"Oh, you think you're mighty smart, DON'T you? I could lick you with one hand tied behind me, if I wanted to."
"Well why don't you DO it? You SAY you can do it."
"Well I WILL, if you fool with me."
"Oh yes—I've seen whole families in the same fix."
"Smarty! You think you're SOME, now, DON'T you? Oh, what a hat!"
"You can lump that hat if you don't like it. I dare you to knock it off—and anybody that'll take a dare will suck eggs."
"You're a liar!"
"You're another."
"You're a fighting liar and dasn't take it up."
"Aw—take a walk!"
"Say—if you give me much more of your sass I'll take and bounce a rock off'n your head."
"Oh, of COURSE you will."
"Well I WILL."
"Well why don't you DO it then? What do you keep SAYING you will for? Why don't you DO it? It's because you're afraid."
"I AIN'T afraid."
"You are."
"I ain't."
"You are."
Another pause, and more eying and sidling around each other. Presently they were shoulder to shoulder. Tom said:
"Get away from here!"
"Go away yourself!"
"I won't."
"I won't either."
So they stood, each with a foot placed at an angle as a brace, and both shoving with might and main, and glowering at each other with hate. But neither could get an advantage. After struggling till both were hot and flushed, each relaxed his strain with watchful caution, and Tom said:
"You're a coward and a pup. I'll tell my big brother on you, and he can thrash you with his little finger, and I'll make him do it, too."
"What do I care for your big brother? I've got a brother that's bigger than he is—and what's more, he can throw him over that fence, too." [Both brothers were imaginary.]
"That's a lie."
"YOUR saying so don't make it so."
Tom drew a line in the dust with his big toe, and said:
"I dare you to step over that, and I'll lick you till you can't stand up. Anybody that'll take a dare will steal sheep."
The new boy stepped over promptly, and said:
"Now you said you'd do it, now let's see you do it."
"Don't you crowd me now; you better look out."
"Well, you SAID you'd do it—why don't you do it?"
"By jingo! for two cents I WILL do it."
The new boy took two broad coppers out of his pocket and held them out with derision. Tom struck them to the ground. In an instant both boys were rolling and tumbling in the dirt, gripped together like cats; and for the space of a minute they tugged and tore at each other's hair and clothes, punched and scratched each other's nose, and covered themselves with dust and glory. Presently the confusion took form, and through the fog of battle Tom appeared, seated astride the new boy, and pounding him with his fists. "Holler 'nuff!" said he.
The boy only struggled to free himself. He was crying—mainly from rage.
"Holler 'nuff!"—and the pounding went on.
At last the stranger got out a smothered "'Nuff!" and Tom let him up and said:
"Now that'll learn you. Better look out who you're fooling with next time."
The new boy went off brushing the dust from his clothes, sobbing, snuffling, and occasionally looking back and shaking his head and threatening what he would do to Tom the "next time he caught him out." To which Tom responded with jeers, and started off in high feather, and as soon as his back was turned the new boy snatched up a stone, threw it and hit him the shoulders and then turned tail and ran like an antelope. Tom chased the traitor home, and thus found out where he lived. He then held a position at the gate for some time, daring the enemy to come , but the enemy only made faces at him through the window and declined. At last the enemy's mother appeared, and called Tom a bad, vicious, vulgar child, and ordered him away. So he went away; but he said he "'lowed" to "lay" for that boy.
He got home pretty late that night, and when he climbed cautiously in at the window, he uncovered an ambuscade, in the person of his aunt; and when she saw the state his clothes were in her resolution to turn his Saturday holiday into captivity at hard labor became adamantine in its firmness.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 2
SATURDAY morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every step. The locust-trees were in bloom and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. Cardiff Hill, beyond the village and above it, was green with vegetation and it lay just far enough away to seem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting.
Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation; did it again; compared the whitewashed streak with the far-reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged. Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing Buffalo Gals. Bringing water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remembered that there was company at the pump. White, mulatto, and negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarrelling, fighting, skylarking. And he remembered that although the pump was only a hundred and fifty yards off, Jim never got back with a bucket of water under an hour—and even then generally had to go after him. Tom said:
"Say, Jim, I'll fetch the water if you'll whitewash some."
Jim shook his head and said:
"Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an' git dis water an' not stop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She say she spec' Mars Tom gwine to ax me to whitewash, an' so she tole me go 'long an' 'tend to my own business—she 'lowed SHE'D 'tend to de whitewashin'."
"Oh, never you mind what she said, Jim. That's the way she always talks. Gimme the bucket—I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE won't ever know."
"Oh, I dasn't, Mars Tom. Ole missis she'd take an' tar de head off'n me. 'Deed she would."
"SHE! She never licks anybody—whacks 'em over the head with her thimble—and who cares for that, I'd like to know. She talks awful, but talk don't hurt—anyways it don't if she don't cry. Jim, I'll give you a marvel. I'll give you a white alley!"
Jim began to waver.
"White alley, Jim! And it's a bully taw."
"My! Dat's a mighty gay marvel, I tell you! But Mars Tom I's powerful 'fraid ole missis—"
"And besides, if you will I'll show you my sore toe."
Jim was only human—this attraction was too much for him. He put down his pail, took the white alley, and bent over the toe with absorbing interest while the bandage was being unwound. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail and a tingling rear, Tom was whitewashing with vigor, and Aunt Polly was retiring from the field with a slipper in her hand and triumph in her eye.
But Tom's energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work—the very thought of it burnt him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it—bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, but not half enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedom. So he returned his straitened means to his pocket, and gave up the idea of trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him! Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspiration.
He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently—the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had been dreading. Ben's gait was the hop-skip-and-jump—proof enough that his heart was light and his anticipations high. He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned -dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat. As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water. He was boat and captain and engine-bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:
"Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!" The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.
"Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!" His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.
"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! ch-chow-wow! Chow!" His right hand, , describing stately circles—for it was representing a forty-foot wheel.
"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-! Chow-ch-chow-chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.
"Stop the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ow-ow! Get out that head-line! LIVELY now! Come—out with your spring-line—what're you about there! Take a turn round that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now—let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling! SH'T! S'H'T! SH'T!" (trying the gauge-cocks).
Tom went on whitewashing—paid no attention to the steamboat. Ben stared a moment and then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up a stump, ain't you!"
No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before. Ben ranged up alongside of him. Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben said:
"Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?"
Tom wheeled suddenly and said:
"Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing."
"Say—I'm going in a-swimming, I am. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd druther WORK—wouldn't you? Course you would!"
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:
"What do you call work?"
"Why, ain't THAT work?"
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered :
"Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain't. All I know, is, it suits Tom Sawyer."
"Oh come, now, you don't mean to let on that you LIKE it?"
The brush continued to move.
"Like it? Well, I don't see why I oughtn't to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a touch here and there—criticised the effect again—Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. he said:
"Say, Tom, let ME whitewash a little."
Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:
"No—no—I reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular about this fence—right here on the street, you know—but if it was the back fence I wouldn't mind and SHE wouldn't. Yes, she's awful particular about this fence; it's got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."
"No—is that so? Oh come, now—lemme just try. Only just a little—I'd let YOU, if you was me, Tom."
"Ben, I'd like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly—well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldn't let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn't let Sid. Now don't you see how I'm fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it—"
"Oh, shucks, I'll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say—I'll give you the core of my apple."
"Well, here—No, Ben, now don't. I'm afeard—"
"I'll give you ALL of it!"
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple, and planned the slaughter of more innocents. There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with—and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass , a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.
He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while—plenty of company—and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadn't run out of whitewash he would have bankrupted every boy in the village.
Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is OBLIGED to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.
The boy mused awhile over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward headquarters to report.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 2
SATURDAY morning was come, and all the summer world was bright and fresh, and brimming with life. There was a song in every heart; and if the heart was young the music issued at the lips. There was cheer in every face and a spring in every step. The locust-trees were in bloom and the fragrance of the blossoms filled the air. Cardiff Hill, beyond the village and above it, was green with vegetation and it lay just far enough away to seem a Delectable Land, dreamy, reposeful, and inviting.
Tom appeared on the sidewalk with a bucket of whitewash and a long-handled brush. He surveyed the fence, and all gladness left him and a deep settled down upon his spirit. Thirty yards of board fence nine feet high. Life to him seemed hollow, and existence but a burden. Sighing, he dipped his brush and passed it along the topmost plank; repeated the operation; did it again; compared the whitewashed streak with the far-reaching continent of unwhitewashed fence, and sat down on a tree-box discouraged. Jim came skipping out at the gate with a tin pail, and singing Buffalo Gals. Bringing water from the town pump had always been hateful work in Tom's eyes, before, but now it did not strike him so. He remembered that there was company at the pump. White, mulatto, and negro boys and girls were always there waiting their turns, resting, trading playthings, quarrelling, fighting, skylarking. And he remembered that although the pump was only a hundred and fifty yards off, Jim never got back with a bucket of water under an hour—and even then generally had to go after him. Tom said:
"Say, Jim, I'll fetch the water if you'll whitewash some."
Jim shook his head and said:
"Can't, Mars Tom. Ole missis, she tole me I got to go an' git dis water an' not stop foolin' roun' wid anybody. She say she spec' Mars Tom gwine to ax me to whitewash, an' so she tole me go 'long an' 'tend to my own business—she 'lowed SHE'D 'tend to de whitewashin'."
"Oh, never you mind what she said, Jim. That's the way she always talks. Gimme the bucket—I won't be gone only a a minute. SHE won't ever know."
"Oh, I dasn't, Mars Tom. Ole missis she'd take an' tar de head off'n me. 'Deed she would."
"SHE! She never licks anybody—whacks 'em over the head with her thimble—and who cares for that, I'd like to know. She talks awful, but talk don't hurt—anyways it don't if she don't cry. Jim, I'll give you a marvel. I'll give you a white alley!"
Jim began to waver.
"White alley, Jim! And it's a bully taw."
"My! Dat's a mighty gay marvel, I tell you! But Mars Tom I's powerful 'fraid ole missis—"
"And besides, if you will I'll show you my sore toe."
Jim was only human—this attraction was too much for him. He put down his pail, took the white alley, and bent over the toe with absorbing interest while the bandage was being unwound. In another moment he was flying down the street with his pail and a tingling rear, Tom was whitewashing with vigor, and Aunt Polly was retiring from the field with a slipper in her hand and triumph in her eye.
But Tom's energy did not last. He began to think of the fun he had planned for this day, and his sorrows multiplied. Soon the free boys would come tripping along on all sorts of delicious expeditions, and they would make a world of fun of him for having to work—the very thought of it burnt him like fire. He got out his worldly wealth and examined it—bits of toys, marbles, and trash; enough to buy an exchange of WORK, maybe, but not half enough to buy so much as half an hour of pure freedom. So he returned his straitened means to his pocket, and gave up the idea of trying to buy the boys. At this dark and hopeless moment an inspiration burst upon him! Nothing less than a great, magnificent inspiration.
He took up his brush and went tranquilly to work. Ben Rogers hove in sight presently—the very boy, of all boys, whose ridicule he had been dreading. Ben's gait was the hop-skip-and-jump—proof enough that his heart was light and his anticipations high. He was eating an apple, and giving a long, melodious whoop, at intervals, followed by a deep-toned -dong, ding-dong-dong, for he was personating a steamboat. As he drew near, he slackened speed, took the middle of the street, leaned far over to and rounded to ponderously and with laborious pomp and circumstance—for he was personating the Big Missouri, and considered himself to be drawing nine feet of water. He was boat and captain and engine-bells combined, so he had to imagine himself standing on his own hurricane-deck giving the orders and executing them:
"Stop her, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling!" The headway ran almost out, and he drew up slowly toward the sidewalk.
"Ship up to back! Ting-a-ling-ling!" His arms straightened and stiffened down his sides.
"Set her back on the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow! ch-chow-wow! Chow!" His right hand, , describing stately circles—for it was representing a forty-foot wheel.
"Let her go back on the labboard! Ting-a-! Chow-ch-chow-chow!" The left hand began to describe circles.
"Stop the stabboard! Ting-a-ling-ling! Stop the labboard! Come ahead on the stabboard! Stop her! Let your outside turn over slow! Ting-a-ling-ling! Chow-ow-ow! Get out that head-line! LIVELY now! Come—out with your spring-line—what're you about there! Take a turn round that stump with the bight of it! Stand by that stage, now—let her go! Done with the engines, sir! Ting-a-ling-ling! SH'T! S'H'T! SH'T!" (trying the gauge-cocks).
Tom went on whitewashing—paid no attention to the steamboat. Ben stared a moment and then said: "Hi-YI! YOU'RE up a stump, ain't you!"
No answer. Tom surveyed his last touch with the eye of an artist, then he gave his brush another gentle sweep and surveyed the result, as before. Ben ranged up alongside of him. Tom's mouth watered for the apple, but he stuck to his work. Ben said:
"Hello, old chap, you got to work, hey?"
Tom wheeled suddenly and said:
"Why, it's you, Ben! I warn't noticing."
"Say—I'm going in a-swimming, I am. Don't you wish you could? But of course you'd druther WORK—wouldn't you? Course you would!"
Tom contemplated the boy a bit, and said:
"What do you call work?"
"Why, ain't THAT work?"
Tom resumed his whitewashing, and answered :
"Well, maybe it is, and maybe it ain't. All I know, is, it suits Tom Sawyer."
"Oh come, now, you don't mean to let on that you LIKE it?"
The brush continued to move.
"Like it? Well, I don't see why I oughtn't to like it. Does a boy get a chance to whitewash a fence every day?"
That put the thing in a new light. Ben stopped nibbling his apple. Tom swept his brush daintily back and forth—stepped back to note the effect—added a touch here and there—criticised the effect again—Ben watching every move and getting more and more interested, more and more absorbed. he said:
"Say, Tom, let ME whitewash a little."
Tom considered, was about to consent; but he altered his mind:
"No—no—I reckon it wouldn't hardly do, Ben. You see, Aunt Polly's awful particular about this fence—right here on the street, you know—but if it was the back fence I wouldn't mind and SHE wouldn't. Yes, she's awful particular about this fence; it's got to be done very careful; I reckon there ain't one boy in a thousand, maybe two thousand, that can do it the way it's got to be done."
"No—is that so? Oh come, now—lemme just try. Only just a little—I'd let YOU, if you was me, Tom."
"Ben, I'd like to, honest injun; but Aunt Polly—well, Jim wanted to do it, but she wouldn't let him; Sid wanted to do it, and she wouldn't let Sid. Now don't you see how I'm fixed? If you was to tackle this fence and anything was to happen to it—"
"Oh, shucks, I'll be just as careful. Now lemme try. Say—I'll give you the core of my apple."
"Well, here—No, Ben, now don't. I'm afeard—"
"I'll give you ALL of it!"
Tom gave up the brush with reluctance in his face, but alacrity in his heart. And while the late steamer Big Missouri worked and sweated in the sun, the retired artist sat on a barrel in the shade close by, dangled his legs, munched his apple, and planned the slaughter of more innocents. There was no lack of material; boys happened along every little while; they came to jeer, but remained to whitewash. By the time Ben was fagged out, Tom had traded the next chance to Billy Fisher for a kite, in good repair; and when he played out, Johnny Miller bought in for a dead rat and a string to swing it with—and so on, and so on, hour after hour. And when the middle of the afternoon came, from being a poor poverty-stricken boy in the morning, Tom was literally rolling in wealth. He had besides the things before mentioned, twelve marbles, part of a jews-harp, a piece of blue bottle-glass to look through, a spool cannon, a key that wouldn't unlock anything, a fragment of chalk, a glass stopper of a decanter, a tin soldier, a couple of tadpoles, six fire-crackers, a kitten with only one eye, a brass , a dog-collar—but no dog—the handle of a knife, four pieces of orange-peel, and a dilapidated old window sash.
He had had a nice, good, idle time all the while—plenty of company—and the fence had three coats of whitewash on it! If he hadn't run out of whitewash he would have bankrupted every boy in the village.
Tom said to himself that it was not such a hollow world, after all. He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it—namely, that in order to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to attain. If he had been a great and wise philosopher, like the writer of this book, he would now have comprehended that Work consists of whatever a body is OBLIGED to do, and that Play consists of whatever a body is not obliged to do. And this would help him to understand why constructing artificial flowers or performing on a tread-mill is work, while rolling ten-pins or climbing Mont Blanc is only amusement. There are wealthy gentlemen in England who drive four-horse twenty or thirty miles on a daily line, in the summer, because the privilege costs them considerable money; but if they were offered wages for the service, that would turn it into work and then they would resign.
The boy mused awhile over the substantial change which had taken place in his worldly circumstances, and then wended toward headquarters to report.
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Help | Feedback | Make a request | Report an error | Send to a friend
101 Shakespeare is your one-stop college course companion.
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Read the complete texts of Shakespeare's plays along with an easy to understand translation.
More...
Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 3
TOM presented himself before Aunt Polly, who was sitting by an open window in a pleasant rearward apartment, which was bedroom, breakfast-room, dining-room, and library, combined. The balmy air, the restful quiet, the odor of the flowers, and the drowsing murmur of the bees had had their effect, and she was nodding over her —for she had no company but the cat, and it was asleep in her lap. Her spectacles were propped up on her gray head for safety. She had thought that of course Tom had deserted long ago, and she wondered at seeing him place himself in her power again in this intrepid way. He said: "Mayn't I go and play now, aunt?"
"What, a'ready? How much have you done?"
"It's all done, aunt."
"Tom, don't lie to me—I can't bear it."
"I ain't, aunt; it IS all done."
Aunt Polly placed small trust in such evidence. She went out to see for herself; and she would have been content to find twenty per cent. of Tom's true. When she found the entire fence , and not only whitewashed but elaborately coated and recoated, and even a streak added to the ground, her astonishment was almost unspeakable. She said:
"Well, I never! There's no getting round it, you can work when you're a mind to, Tom." And then she diluted the compliment by adding, "But it's seldom you're a mind to, I'm bound to say. Well, go 'long and play; but mind you get back some time in a week, or I'll tan you."
She was so overcome by the splendor of his that she took him into the closet and selected a choice apple and delivered it to him, along with an improving lecture upon the added value and flavor a treat took to itself when it came without sin through virtuous effort. And while she closed with a happy Scriptural flourish, he "hooked" a doughnut.
Then he skipped out, and saw Sid just starting up the outside stairway that led to the back rooms on the second floor. Clods were handy and the air was full of them in a twinkling. They raged around Sid like a hail-storm; and before Aunt Polly could collect her surprised faculties and sally to the rescue, six or seven clods had taken personal effect, and Tom was over the fence and gone. There was a gate, but as a general thing he was too crowded for time to make use of it. His soul was at peace, now that he had settled with Sid for calling attention to his black thread and getting him into trouble.
Tom skirted the block, and came round into a muddy alley that led by the back of his aunt's . He presently got safely beyond the reach of capture and punishment, and hastened toward the public square of the village, where two "military" companies of boys had met for conflict, according to previous appointment. Tom was General of one of these armies, Joe Harper (a bosom friend) General of the other. These two great commanders did not condescend to fight in person—that being better suited to the still smaller fry—but sat together on an eminence and conducted the field operations by orders delivered through aides-de-camp. Tom's army won a great victory, after a long and hard-fought battle. Then the dead were counted, prisoners exchanged, the terms of the next disagreement agreed upon, and the day for the necessary battle appointed; after which the armies fell into line and marched away, and Tom turned homeward alone.
As he was passing by the house where Jeff Thatcher lived, he saw a new girl in the garden—a lovely little blue-eyed creature with yellow hair plaited into two long-tails, white summer frock and embroidered . The fresh-crowned hero fell without firing a shot. A certain Amy Lawrence vanished out of his heart and left not even a memory of herself behind. He had thought he loved her to distraction; he had regarded his passion as adoration; and behold it was only a poor little evanescent partiality. He had been months winning her; she had confessed hardly a week ago; he had been the happiest and the proudest boy in the world only seven short days, and here in one instant of time she had gone out of his heart like a casual stranger whose visit is done.
He worshipped this new angel with furtive eye, till he saw that she had discovered him; then he he did not know she was present, and began to "show off" in all sorts of absurd boyish ways, in order to win her admiration. He kept up this grotesque foolishness for some time; but by-and-by, while he was in the midst of some dangerous gymnastic performances, he glanced aside and saw that the little girl was wending her way toward the house. Tom came up to the fence and leaned on it, grieving, and hoping she would tarry yet awhile longer. She halted a moment on the steps and then moved toward the door. Tom heaved a great sigh as she put her foot on the threshold. But his face lit up, right away, for she tossed a pansy over the fence a moment before she disappeared.
The boy ran around and stopped within a foot or two of the flower, and then shaded his eyes with his hand and began to look down street as if he had something of interest going on in that direction. Presently he picked up a straw and began trying to balance it on his nose, with his head tilted far back; and as he moved from side to side, in his efforts, he edged nearer and nearer toward the pansy; finally his bare foot rested upon it, his pliant toes closed upon it, and he hopped away with the treasure and disappeared round the corner. But only for a minute—only while he could button the flower inside his jacket, next his heart—or next his stomach, possibly, for he was not much posted in anatomy, and not hypercritical, .
He returned, now, and hung about the fence till nightfall, "showing off," as before; but the girl never exhibited herself again, though Tom comforted a little with the hope that she had been near some window, meantime, and been aware of his attentions. Finally he strode home reluctantly, with his poor head full of visions.
All through supper his spirits were so high that his aunt wondered "what had got into the child." He took a good scolding about clodding Sid, and did not seem to mind it in the least. He tried to steal sugar under his aunt's very nose, and got his knuckles rapped for it. He said:
"Aunt, you don't whack Sid when he takes it."
"Well, Sid don't torment a body the way you do. You'd be always into that sugar if I warn't watching you."
Presently she stepped into the kitchen, and Sid, happy in his immunity, reached for the sugar-bowl—a sort of glorying over Tom which was wellnigh . But Sid's fingers slipped and the bowl dropped and broke. Tom was in ecstasies. In such ecstasies that he even controlled his tongue and was silent. He said to himself that he would not speak a word, even when his aunt came in, but would sit still till she asked who did the mischief; and then he would tell, and there would be nothing so good in the world as to see that pet model "catch it." He was so brimful of exultation that he could hardly hold when the old lady came back and stood above the wreck discharging lightnings of wrath from over her spectacles. He said to himself, "Now it's coming!" And the next instant he was sprawling on the floor! The potent palm was uplifted to strike again when Tom cried out:
"Hold on, now, what 'er you belting ME for?—Sid broke it!"
Aunt Polly paused, perplexed, and Tom looked for healing pity. But when she got her tongue again, she only said:
"Umf! Well, you didn't get a lick amiss, I reckon. You been into some other audacious mischief when I wasn't around, like enough."
Then her conscience reproached her, and she yearned to say something kind and loving; but she judged that this would be construed into a confession that she had been in the wrong, and discipline forbade that. So she kept silence, and went about her affairs with a troubled heart. Tom sulked in a corner and exalted his woes. He knew that in her heart his aunt was on her knees to him, and he was morosely gratified by the consciousness of it. He would hang out no signals, he would take notice of none. He knew that a yearning glance fell upon him, now and then, through a film of tears, but he refused recognition of it. He pictured lying sick unto death and his aunt bending over him beseeching one little forgiving word, but he would turn his face to the wall, and die with that word unsaid. Ah, how would she feel then? And he pictured himself brought home from the river, dead, with his curls all wet, and his sore heart at rest. How she would throw herself upon him, and how her tears would fall like rain, and her lips pray God to give her back her boy and she would never, never abuse him any more! But he would lie there cold and white and make no sign—a poor little sufferer, whose griefs were at an end. He so worked upon his feelings with the pathos of these dreams, that he had to keep swallowing, he was so like to choke; and his eyes swam in a blur of water, which overflowed when he winked, and ran down and trickled from the end of his nose. And such a luxury to him was this petting of his sorrows, that he could not bear to have any worldly cheeriness or any grating delight intrude upon it; it was too sacred for such contact; and so, presently, when his cousin Mary danced in, all alive with the joy of seeing home again after an age-long visit of one week to the country, he got up and moved in clouds and darkness out at one door as she brought song and sunshine in at the other.
He wandered far from the accustomed haunts of boys, and sought desolate places that were in with his spirit. A log raft in the river invited him, and he seated himself on its outer edge and contemplated the dreary vastness of the stream, , the while, that he could only be drowned, all at once and unconsciously, without undergoing the routine devised by nature. Then he thought of his flower. He got it out, rumpled and wilted, and it mightily increased his dismal felicity. He wondered if she would pity him if she knew? Would she cry, and wish that she had a right to put her arms around his neck and comfort him? Or would she turn coldly away like all the hollow world? This picture brought such an agony of pleasurable that he worked it over and over again in his mind and set it up in new and varied lights, till he wore it threadbare. At last he rose up sighing and departed in the darkness.
About half-past nine or ten o'clock he came along the deserted street to where the Adored Unknown lived; he paused a moment; no sound fell upon his listening ear; a candle was casting a dull glow upon the curtain of a second-story window. Was the sacred presence there? He climbed the fence, threaded his stealthy way through the plants, till he stood under that window; he looked up at it long, and with emotion; then he laid him down on the ground under it, himself upon his back, with his hands clasped upon his breast and holding his poor wilted flower. And thus he would die—out in the cold world, with no shelter over his homeless head, no friendly hand to wipe the death-damps from his brow, no loving face to bend pityingly over him when the great agony came. And thus SHE would see him when she looked out upon the glad morning, and oh! would she drop one little tear upon his poor, lifeless form, would she heave one little sigh to see a bright young life so rudely , so untimely cut down?
The window went up, a maid-servant's discordant voice profaned the holy calm, and a deluge of water drenched the prone martyr's remains!
The strangling hero sprang up with a relieving snort. There was a whiz as of a missile in the air, mingled with the murmur of a curse, a sound as of shivering glass followed, and a small, vague form went over the fence and shot away in the gloom.
Not long after, as Tom, all undressed for bed, was surveying his drenched garments by the light of a tallow dip, Sid woke up; but if he had any dim idea of making any "references to allusions," he thought better of it and held his peace, for there was danger in Tom's eye.
Tom turned in without the added vexation of prayers, and Sid made mental note of the omission.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 4
THE sun rose upon a tranquil world, and beamed down upon the peaceful village like a benediction. Breakfast over, Aunt Polly had family worship: it began with a prayer built from the ground up of solid courses of Scriptural quotations, welded together with a thin mortar of originality; and from the summit of this she delivered a grim chapter of the Mosaic Law, as from Sinai.
Then Tom girded up his loins, so to speak, and went to work to "get his verses." Sid had learned his lesson days before. Tom bent all his energies to the memorizing of five verses, and he chose part of the Sermon on the Mount, because he could find no verses that were shorter. At the end of half an hour Tom had a vague general idea of his lesson, but no more, for his mind was traversing the whole field of human thought, and his hands were busy with recreations. Mary took his book to hear him recite, and he tried to find his way through the fog:
"Blessed are the—a—a—"
"Poor"—
"Yes—poor; blessed are the poor—a—a—"
"In spirit—"
"In spirit; blessed are the poor in spirit, for they—they—"
"THEIRS—"
"For THEIRS. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn, for they—they—"
"Sh—"
"For they—a—"
"S, H, A—"
"For they S, H—Oh, I don't know what it is!"
"SHALL!"
"Oh, SHALL! for they shall—for they shall—a—a—shall mourn—a—a—blessed are they that shall—they that—a—they that shall mourn, for they shall—a—shall WHAT? Why don't you tell me, Mary?—what do you want to be so mean for?"
"Oh, Tom, you poor thick-headed thing, I'm not teasing you. I wouldn't do that. You must go and learn it again. Don't you be discouraged, Tom, you'll manage it—and if you do, I'll give you something ever so nice. There, now, that's a good boy."
"All right! What is it, Mary, tell me what it is."
"Never you mind, Tom. You know if I say it's nice, it is nice."
"You bet you that's so, Mary. All right, I'll tackle it again."
And he did "tackle it again"—and under the double pressure of curiosity and prospective gain he did it with such spirit that he accomplished a shining success. Mary gave him a brand-new "Barlow" knife worth twelve and a half cents; and the convulsion of delight that swept his system shook him to his foundations. True, the knife would not cut anything, but it was a "sure-enough" Barlow, and there was inconceivable grandeur in that—though where the Western boys ever got the idea that such a weapon could possibly be counterfeited to its injury is an imposing mystery and will always remain so, perhaps. Tom contrived to scarify the cupboard with it, and was arranging to begin on the bureau, when he was called off to dress for Sunday-school.
Mary gave him a tin basin of water and a piece of soap, and he went outside the door and set the basin on a little bench there; then he dipped the soap in the water and laid it down; turned up his sleeves; poured out the water on the ground, gently, and then entered the kitchen and began to wipe his face diligently on the towel behind the door. But Mary removed the towel and said:
"Now ain't you ashamed, Tom. You mustn't be so bad. Water won't hurt you."
Tom was a trifle disconcerted. The basin was refilled, and this time he stood over it a little while, gathering resolution; took in a big breath and began. When he entered the kitchen presently, with both eyes shut and groping for the towel with his hands, an honorable testimony of suds and water was dripping from his face. But when he emerged from the towel, he was not yet satisfactory, for the clean territory stopped short at his chin and his jaws, like a mask; below and beyond this line there was a dark expanse of unirrigated soil that spread downward in front and backward around his neck. Mary took him in hand, and when she was done with him he was a man and a brother, without distinction of color, and his saturated hair was neatly brushed, and its short curls wrought into a dainty and symmetrical general effect. [He privately smoothed out the curls, with labor and , and plastered his hair close down to his head; for he held curls to be effeminate, and his own filled his life with bitterness.] Then Mary got out a suit of his clothing that had been used only on Sundays during two years—they were simply called his "other clothes"—and so by that we know the size of his wardrobe. The girl "put him to rights" after he had dressed ; she buttoned his neat roundabout up to his chin, turned his vast shirt collar down over his shoulders, brushed him off and crowned him with his speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as uncomfortable as he looked; for there was a restraint about whole clothes and cleanliness that galled him. He hoped that Mary would forget his shoes, but the hope was blighted; she coated them thoroughly with tallow, as was the custom, and brought them out. He lost his temper and said he was always being made to do everything he didn't want to do. But Mary said, persuasively:
"Please, Tom—that's a good boy."
So he got into the shoes snarling. Mary was soon ready, and the three children set out for Sunday-school—a place that Tom hated with his whole heart; but Sid and Mary were fond of it.
Sabbath-school hours were from nine to half-past ten; and then church service. Two of the children always remained for the sermon voluntarily, and the other always remained too—for stronger reasons. The church's high-backed, uncushioned pews would seat about three hundred persons; the edifice was but a small, plain affair, with a sort of pine board tree-box on top of it for a steeple. At the door Tom dropped back a step and accosted a Sunday-dressed comrade:
"Say, Billy, got a yaller ticket?"
"Yes."
"What'll you take for her?"
"What'll you give?"
"Piece of lickrish and a fish-hook."
"Less see 'em."
Tom exhibited. They were satisfactory, and the property changed hands. Then Tom traded a couple of white alleys for three red tickets, and some small trifle or other for a couple of blue ones. He waylaid other boys as they came, and went on buying tickets of various colors ten or fifteen minutes longer. He entered the church, now, with a swarm of clean and noisy boys and girls, proceeded to his seat and started a quarrel with the first boy that came handy. The teacher, a grave, elderly man, interfered; then turned his back a moment and Tom pulled a boy's hair in the next bench, and was absorbed in his book when the boy turned around; stuck a pin in another boy, presently, in order to hear him say "Ouch!" and got a new reprimand from his teacher. Tom's whole class were of a pattern—restless, noisy, and troublesome. When they came to recite their lessons, not one of them knew his verses perfectly, but had to be prompted all along. However, they worried through, and each got his reward—in small blue tickets, each with a passage of Scripture on it; each blue ticket was pay for two verses of the recitation. Ten blue tickets equalled a red one, and could be exchanged for it; ten red tickets equalled a yellow one; for ten yellow tickets the superintendent gave a very plainly bound Bible (worth forty cents in those easy times) to the pupil. How many of my readers would have the industry and application to memorize two thousand verses, even for a Dore Bible? And yet Mary had acquired two Bibles in this way—it was the patient work of two years—and a boy of parentage had won four or five. He once recited three thousand verses without stopping; but the strain upon his mental faculties was too great, and he was little better than an idiot from that day forth—a grievous misfortune for the school, for on great , before company, the superintendent (as Tom expressed it) had always made this boy come out and "spread himself." Only the older pupils managed to keep their tickets and stick to their tedious work long enough to get a Bible, and so the delivery of one of these prizes was a rare and noteworthy circumstance; the successful pupil was so great and conspicuous for that day that on the spot every scholar's heart was fired with a fresh ambition that often lasted a couple of weeks. It is possible that Tom's mental stomach had never really hungered for one of those prizes, but his entire being had for many a day longed for the glory and the eclat that came with it.
In due course the superintendent stood up in front of the pulpit, with a closed hymn-book in his hand and his forefinger inserted between its leaves, and commanded attention. When a Sunday-school makes his customary little speech, a hymn-book in the hand is as necessary as is the inevitable sheet of music in the hand of a singer who stands forward on the platform and sings a solo at a concert—though why, is a mystery: for neither the hymn-book nor the sheet of music is ever referred to by the sufferer. This superintendent was a slim creature of thirty-five, with a sandy goatee and short sandy hair; he wore a stiff standing-collar whose upper edge almost reached his ears and whose sharp points curved forward abreast the corners of his mouth—a fence that compelled a straight lookout ahead, and a turning of the whole body when a side view was required; his chin was propped on a spreading cravat which was as broad and as long as a bank-note, and had fringed ends; his boot toes were turned sharply up, in the fashion of the day, like —an effect patiently and laboriously produced by the young men by sitting with their toes pressed against a wall for hours together. Mr. Walters was very earnest of mien, and very sincere and honest at heart; and he held sacred things and places in such reverence, and so separated them from worldly matters, that unconsciously to himself his Sunday-school voice had acquired a peculiar intonation which was wholly absent on week-days. He began after this fashion:
"Now, children, I want you all to sit up just as straight and pretty as you can and give me all your attention for a minute or two. There—that is it. That is the way good little boys and girls should do. I see one little girl who is looking out of the window—I am afraid she thinks I am out there somewhere—perhaps up in one of the trees making a speech to the little birds. [Applausive titter.] I want to tell you how good it makes me feel to see so many bright, clean little faces assembled in a place like this, learning to do right and be good." And so forth and so on. It is not necessary to set down the rest of the oration. It was of a pattern which does not vary, and so it is familiar to us all.
The latter third of the speech was marred by the resumption of fights and other recreations among certain of the bad boys, and by fidgetings and that extended far and wide, washing even to the bases of isolated and incorruptible rocks like Sid and Mary. But now every sound ceased suddenly, with the subsidence of Mr. Walters' voice, and the of the speech was received with a burst of silent gratitude.
A good part of the whispering had been occasioned by an event which was more or less rare—the entrance of visitors: lawyer Thatcher, accompanied by a very feeble and aged man; a fine, portly, middle-aged with iron-gray hair; and a dignified lady who was doubtless the latter's wife. The lady was leading a child. Tom had been restless and full of chafings and repinings; conscience-smitten, too—he could not meet Amy Lawrence's eye, he could not brook her loving gaze. But when he saw this small new-comer his soul was all ablaze with bliss in a moment. The next moment he was "showing off" with all his might—cuffing boys, pulling hair, making faces—in a word, using every art that seemed likely to fascinate a girl and win her applause. His exaltation had but one alloy—the memory of his humiliation in this angel's garden—and that record in sand was fast washing out, under the waves of happiness that were sweeping over it now.
The visitors were given the highest seat of honor, and as soon as Mr. Walters' speech was finished, he introduced them to the school. The middle-aged man turned out to be a prodigious personage—no less a one than the county judge—altogether the most august creation these children had ever looked upon—and they wondered what kind of material he was made of—and they half wanted to hear him roar, and were half afraid he might, too. He was from Constantinople, twelve miles away—so he had travelled, and seen the world—these very eyes had looked upon the county court-house—which was said to have a tin roof. The awe which these reflections inspired was attested by the impressive silence and the ranks of staring eyes. This was the great Judge Thatcher, brother of their own lawyer. Jeff Thatcher immediately went forward, to be familiar with the great man and be envied by the school. It would have been music to his soul to hear the whisperings:
"Look at him, Jim! He's a going up there. Say—look! he's a going to shake hands with him—he IS shaking hands with him! By jings, don't you wish you was Jeff?"
Mr. Walters fell to "showing off," with all sorts of official bustlings and activities, giving orders, judgments, discharging directions here, there, everywhere that he could find a target. The librarian "showed off"—running hither and thither with his arms full of books and making a deal of the splutter and fuss that insect authority delights in. The young lady teachers "showed off"—bending sweetly over pupils that were lately being boxed, lifting pretty warning fingers at bad little boys and patting good ones lovingly. The young gentlemen teachers "showed off" with small scoldings and other little displays of authority and fine attention to discipline—and most of the teachers, of both sexes, found business up at the library, by the pulpit; and it was business that frequently had to be done over again two or three times (with much seeming vexation). The little girls "showed off" in various ways, and the little boys "showed off" with such diligence that the air was thick with paper wads and the murmur of scufflings. And above it all the great man sat and beamed a majestic judicial smile upon all the house, and warmed himself in the sun of his own grandeur—for he was "showing off," too.
There was only one thing wanting to make Mr. Walters' ecstasy complete, and that was a chance to deliver a Bible-prize and exhibit a prodigy. Several pupils had a few yellow tickets, but none had enough—he had been around among the star pupils inquiring. He would have given worlds, now, to have that German lad back again with a sound mind.
And now at this moment, when hope was dead, Tom Sawyer came forward with nine yellow tickets, nine red tickets, and ten blue ones, and demanded a Bible. This was a thunderbolt out of a clear sky. Walters was not expecting an application from this source for the next ten years. But there was no getting around it—here were the certified checks, and they were good for their face. Tom was elevated to a place with the Judge and the other elect, and the great news was announced from . It was the most stunning surprise of the decade, and so profound was the sensation that it lifted the new hero up to the judicial one's altitude, and the school had two marvels to gaze upon in place of one. The boys were all eaten up with envy—but those that suffered the bitterest pangs were those who perceived too late that they themselves had contributed to this hated splendor by trading tickets to Tom for the wealth he had amassed in selling whitewashing privileges. These despised themselves, as being the dupes of a wily fraud, a guileful snake in the grass.
The prize was delivered to Tom with as much effusion as the superintendent could pump up under the circumstances; but it lacked somewhat of the true gush, for the poor fellow's instinct taught him that there was a mystery here that could not well bear the light, perhaps; it was simply preposterous that this boy had warehoused two thousand sheaves of Scriptural wisdom on his premises—a dozen would strain his capacity, without a doubt.
Amy Lawrence was proud and glad, and she tried to make Tom see it in her face—but he wouldn't look. She wondered; then she was just a grain troubled; next a dim suspicion came and went—came again; she watched; a furtive glance told her worlds—and then her heart broke, and she was jealous, and angry, and the tears came and she hated everybody. Tom most of all (she thought).
Tom was introduced to the Judge; but his tongue was tied, his breath would hardly come, his heart quaked—partly because of the awful greatness of the man, but mainly because he was her parent. He would have liked to fall down and worship him, if it were in the dark. The Judge put his hand on Tom's head and called him a fine little man, and asked him what his name was. The boy stammered, gasped, and got it out:
"Tom."
"Oh, no, not Tom—it is—"
"Thomas."
"Ah, that's it. I thought there was more to it, maybe. That's very well. But you've another one I daresay, and you'll tell it to me, won't you?"
"Tell the gentleman your other name, Thomas," said Walters, "and say sir. You mustn't forget your manners."
"Thomas Sawyer—sir."
"That's it! That's a good boy. Fine boy. Fine, manly little fellow. Two thousand verses is a great many—very, very great many. And you never can be sorry for the trouble you took to learn them; for is worth more than anything there is in the world; it's what makes great men and good men; you'll be a great man and a good man yourself, some day, Thomas, and then you'll look back and say, It's all owing to the precious Sunday-school privileges of my boyhood—it's all owing to my dear teachers that taught me to learn—it's all owing to the good superintendent, who me, and watched over me, and gave me a beautiful Bible—a splendid elegant Bible—to keep and have it all for my own, always—it's all owing to right bringing up! That is what you will say, Thomas—and you wouldn't take any money for those two thousand verses—no indeed you wouldn't. And now you wouldn't mind telling me and this lady some of the things you've learned—no, I know you wouldn't—for we are proud of little boys that learn. Now, no doubt you know the names of all the twelve disciples. Won't you tell us the names of the first two that were appointed?"
Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. He blushed, now, and his eyes fell. Mr. Walters' heart sank within him. He said to himself, it is not possible that the boy can answer the simplest question—why DID the Judge ask him? Yet he felt obliged to speak up and say:
"Answer the gentleman, Thomas—don't be afraid."
Tom still hung fire.
"Now I know you'll tell me," said the lady. "The names of the first two disciples were—"
"DAVID AND GOLIAH!"
Let us draw the curtain of charity over the rest of the scene.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 5
ABOUT half-past ten the cracked bell of the small church began to ring, and the people began to gather for the morning sermon. The Sunday-school children distributed themselves about the house and occupied pews with their , so as to be under supervision. Aunt Polly came, and Tom and Sid and Mary sat with her—Tom being placed next the aisle, in order that he might be as far away from the open window and the seductive outside summer scenes as possible. The crowd filed up the aisles: the aged and needy postmaster, who had seen better days; the mayor and his wife—for they had a mayor there, among other unnecessaries; the justice of the peace; the widow Douglass, fair, smart, and forty, a generous, good-hearted soul and well-to-do, her hill mansion the only palace in the town, and the most hospitable and much the most lavish in the matter of festivities that St. Petersburg could boast; the bent and venerable Major and Mrs. Ward; lawyer Riverson, the new notable from a ; next the belle of the village, followed by a troop of lawn-clad and ribbon-decked young heart-breakers; then all the young clerks in town in a body—for they had stood in the vestibule sucking their cane-heads, a circling wall of oiled and simpering admirers, till the last girl had run their gantlet; and last of all came the Model Boy, Willie Mufferson, taking as heedful care of his mother as if she were cut glass. He always brought his mother to church, and was the pride of all the matrons. The boys all hated him, he was so good. And besides, he had been "thrown up to them" so much. His white handkerchief was hanging out of his pocket behind, as usual on Sundays—accidentally. Tom had no handkerchief, and he looked upon boys who had as snobs.
The congregation being fully assembled, now, the bell rang once more, to warn laggards and stragglers, and then a solemn hush fell upon the church which was only broken by the tittering and whispering of the choir in the gallery. The choir always tittered and whispered all through service. There was once a church choir that was not ill-bred, but I have where it was, now. It was a great many years ago, and I can scarcely remember anything about it, but I think it was in some foreign country.
The minister gave out the hymn, and read it through with a relish, in a peculiar style which was much in that part of the country. His voice began on a medium key and climbed steadily up till it reached a certain point, where it bore with strong emphasis upon the topmost word and then plunged down as if from a spring-board:
Shall I be car-ri-ed toe the skies, on flow'ry BEDS
of ease,
Whilst others fight to win the prize, and sail thro' BLOOD-
y seas?
He was regarded as a wonderful reader. At church "sociables" he was always called upon to read poetry; and when he was through, the ladies would lift up their hands and let them fall helplessly in their laps, and "wall" their eyes, and shake their heads, as much as to say, "Words cannot express it; it is too beautiful, TOO beautiful for this mortal earth."
After the hymn had been sung, the Rev. Mr. Sprague turned himself into a bulletin-board, and read off "notices" of meetings and societies and things till it seemed that the list would stretch out to the crack of doom—a queer custom which is still kept up in America, even in cities, away here in this age of abundant . Often, the less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it.
And now the minister prayed. A good, generous prayer it was, and went into details: it pleaded for the church, and the little children of the church; for the other churches of the village; for the village itself; for the county; for the State; for the State officers; for the United States; for the churches of the United States; for Congress; for the President; for the officers of the Government; for poor sailors, tossed by stormy seas; for the oppressed millions groaning under the heel of European monarchies and Oriental despotisms; for such as have the light and the good tidings, and yet have not eyes to see nor ears to hear withal; for the heathen in the far islands of the sea; and closed with a supplication that the words he was about to speak might find grace and favor, and be as seed sown in fertile ground, yielding in time a grateful harvest of good. Amen.
There was a rustling of dresses, and the standing congregation sat down. The boy whose history this book relates did not enjoy the prayer, he only it—if he even did that much. He was restive all through it; he kept tally of the details of the prayer, unconsciously—for he was not listening, but he knew the ground of old, and the clergyman's regular route over it—and when a little trifle of new matter was , his ear detected it and his whole nature it; he considered additions unfair, and . In the midst of the prayer a fly had lit on the back of the pew in front of him and tortured his spirit by calmly rubbing its hands together, embracing its head with its arms, and polishing it so vigorously that it seemed to almost part company with the body, and the slender thread of a neck was exposed to view; scraping its wings with its hind legs and smoothing them to its body as if they had been coat-tails; going through its whole toilet as tranquilly as if it knew it was perfectly safe. As indeed it was; for as sorely as Tom's hands itched to grab for it they did not dare—he believed his soul would be instantly destroyed if he did such a thing while the prayer was going on. But with the closing sentence his hand began to curve and steal forward; and the instant the "Amen" was out the fly was a prisoner of war. His aunt detected the act and made him let it go.
The minister gave out his text and droned along monotonously through an argument that was so prosy that many a head by and by began to nod—and yet it was an argument that dealt in limitless fire and brimstone and thinned the predestined elect down to a company so small as to be hardly worth the saving. Tom counted the pages of the sermon; after church he always knew how many pages there had been, but he seldom knew anything else about the discourse. , this time he was really interested for a little while. The minister made a grand and moving picture of the assembling together of the world's hosts at the when the lion and the lamb should lie down and a little child should lead them. But the pathos, the lesson, the moral of the great spectacle were lost upon the boy; he only thought of the of the principal character before the on-looking nations; his face lit with the thought, and he said to himself that he wished he could be that child, if it was a tame lion.
Now he lapsed into suffering again, as the dry was resumed. Presently he bethought him of a treasure he had and got it out. It was a large black beetle with formidable jaws—a "pinchbug," he called it. It was in a percussion-cap box. The first thing the beetle did was to take him by the finger. A natural fillip followed, the beetle went floundering into the aisle and lit on its back, and the hurt finger went into the boy's mouth. The beetle lay there working its helpless legs, unable to turn over. Tom eyed it, and longed for it; but it was safe out of his reach. Other people uninterested in the sermon found relief in the beetle, and they eyed it too. Presently a vagrant poodle dog came idling along, sad at heart, lazy with the summer softness and the quiet, weary of captivity, for change. He spied the beetle; the drooping tail lifted and wagged. He surveyed the prize; walked around it; smelt at it from a safe distance; walked around it again; grew bolder, and took a closer smell; then lifted his lip and made a gingerly snatch at it, just missing it; made another, and another; began to enjoy the diversion; subsided to his stomach with the beetle between his paws, and continued his experiments; grew weary at last, and then indifferent and absent-minded. His head nodded, and little by little his chin descended and touched the enemy, who seized it. There was a sharp yelp, a flirt of the poodle's head, and the beetle fell a couple of yards away, and lit on its back once more. The neighboring spectators shook with a gentle inward joy, several faces went behind fans and , and Tom was entirely happy. The dog looked foolish, and probably felt so; but there was resentment in his heart, too, and a craving for revenge. So he went to the beetle and began a wary attack on it again; jumping at it from every point of a circle, with his fore-paws within an inch of the creature, making even closer snatches at it with his teeth, and jerking his head till his ears flapped again. But he grew tired once more, after a while; tried to amuse with a fly but found no relief; followed an ant around, with his nose close to the floor, and quickly wearied of that; yawned, sighed, forgot the beetle entirely, and sat down on it. Then there was a wild yelp of agony and the poodle went sailing up the aisle; the yelps continued, and so did the dog; he crossed the house in front of the altar; he flew down the other aisle; he crossed before the doors; he clamored up the home-stretch; his anguish grew with his progress, till presently he was but a woolly comet moving in its orbit with the gleam and the speed of light. At last the frantic sufferer sheered from its course, and sprang into its master's lap; he flung it out of the window, and the voice of distress quickly thinned away and died in the .
By this time the whole church was red-faced and suffocating with suppressed laughter, and the sermon had come to a dead standstill. The discourse was resumed presently, but it went lame and halting, all possibility of impressiveness being at an end; for even the gravest sentiments were constantly being received with a smothered burst of unholy mirth, under cover of some remote pew-back, as if the poor parson had said a rarely facetious thing. It was a genuine relief to the whole congregation when the ordeal was over and the benediction pronounced.
Tom Sawyer went home quite cheerful, thinking to himself that there was some satisfaction about divine service when there was a bit of variety in it. He had but one marring thought; he was willing that the dog should play with his pinchbug, but he did not think it was upright in him to carry it off.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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Chapter 6
MONDAY morning found Tom Sawyer miserable. Monday morning always found him so—because it began another week's slow suffering in school. He began that day with wishing he had had no intervening holiday, it made the into captivity and fetters again so much more odious.
Tom lay thinking. Presently it occurred to him that he wished he was sick; then he could stay home from school. Here was a vague possibility. He his system. No ailment was found, and he investigated again. This time he thought he could detect colicky symptoms, and he began to encourage them with considerable hope. But they soon grew feeble, and presently died wholly away. He reflected further. Suddenly he discovered something. One of his upper front teeth was loose. This was lucky; he was about to begin to groan, as a "starter," as he called it, when it occurred to him that if he came into court with that argument, his aunt would pull it out, and that would hurt. So he thought he would hold the tooth in reserve for the present, and seek further. Nothing for some little time, and then he remembered hearing the doctor tell about a certain thing that laid up a patient for two or three weeks and threatened to make him lose a finger. So the boy eagerly drew his sore toe from under the sheet and held it up for . But now he did not know the necessary symptoms. However, it seemed well worth while to chance it, so he fell to groaning with considerable spirit.
But Sid slept on unconscious.
Tom groaned louder, and fancied that he began to feel pain in the toe.
No result from Sid.
Tom was panting with his exertions by this time. He took a rest and then swelled himself up and fetched a succession of admirable groans.
Sid snored on.
Tom was aggravated. He said, "Sid, Sid!" and shook him. This course worked well, and Tom began to groan again. Sid yawned, stretched, then brought himself up on his elbow with a snort, and began to stare at Tom. Tom went on groaning. Sid said:
"Tom! Say, Tom!" [No response.] "Here, Tom! TOM! What is the matter, Tom?" And he shook him and looked in his face anxiously.
Tom moaned out:
"Oh, don't, Sid. Don't joggle me."
"Why, what's the matter, Tom? I must call auntie."
"No—never mind. It'll be over by and by, maybe. Don't call anybody."
"But I must! DON'T groan so, Tom, it's awful. How long you been this way?"
"Hours. Ouch! Oh, don't stir so, Sid, you'll kill me."
"Tom, why didn't you wake me sooner ? Oh, Tom, DON'T! It makes my flesh crawl to hear you. Tom, what is the matter?"
"I forgive you everything, Sid. [Groan.] you've ever done to me. When I'm gone—"
"Oh, Tom, you ain't dying, are you? Don't, Tom—oh, don't. Maybe—"
"I forgive everybody, Sid. [Groan.] Tell 'em so, Sid. And Sid, you give my window-sash and my cat with one eye to that new girl that's come to town, and tell her—"
But Sid had snatched his clothes and gone. Tom was suffering in reality, now, so handsomely was his imagination working, and so his groans had gathered quite a genuine tone.
Sid flew down-stairs and said:
"Oh, Aunt Polly, come! Tom's dying!"
"Dying!"
"Yes'm. Don't wait—come quick!"
"Rubbage! I don't believe it!"
But she fled up-stairs, nevertheless, with Sid and Mary at her heels. And her face grew white, too, and her lip trembled. When she reached the she gasped out:
"You, Tom! Tom, what's the matter with you?"
"Oh, auntie, I'm—"
"What's the matter with you—what is the matter with you, child?"
"Oh, auntie, my sore toe's mortified!"
The old lady sank down into a chair and laughed a little, then cried a little, then did both together. This restored her and she said:
"Tom, what a turn you did give me. Now you shut up that nonsense and climb out of this."
The groans ceased and the pain vanished from the toe. The boy felt a little foolish, and he said:
"Aunt Polly, it SEEMED mortified, and it hurt so I never minded my tooth at all."
"Your tooth, indeed! What's the matter with your tooth?"
"One of them's loose, and it aches perfectly awful."
"There, there, now, don't begin that groaning again. Open your mouth. Well—your tooth IS loose, but you're not going to die about that. Mary, get me a silk thread, and a chunk of fire out of the kitchen."
Tom said:
"Oh, please, auntie, don't pull it out. It don't hurt any more. I wish I may never stir if it does. Please don't, auntie. I don't want to stay home from school."
"Oh, you don't, don't you? So all this row was because you thought you'd get to stay home from school and go a-fishing? Tom, Tom, I love you so, and you seem to try every way you can to break my old heart with your outrageousness." By this time the dental instruments were ready. The old lady made one end of the silk thread fast to Tom's tooth with a loop and tied the other to the bedpost. Then she seized the chunk of fire and suddenly thrust it almost into the boy's face. The tooth hung dangling by the bedpost, now.
But all trials bring their compensations. As Tom wended to school after breakfast, he was the envy of every boy he met because the gap in his upper row of teeth enabled him to expectorate in a new and admirable way. He gathered quite a following of lads interested in the exhibition; and one that had cut his finger and had been a centre of fascination and homage up to this time, now found himself without an adherent, and shorn of his glory. His heart was heavy, and he said with a disdain which he did not feel that it wasn't anything to spit like Tom Sawyer; but another boy said, "Sour grapes!" and he wandered away a dismantled hero.
Shortly Tom came upon the juvenile pariah of the village, Huckleberry Finn, son of the town drunkard. Huckleberry was cordially hated and dreaded by all the mothers of the town, because he was idle and and vulgar and bad—and because all their children admired him so, and delighted in his forbidden society, and wished they dared to be like him. Tom was like the rest of the respectable boys, in that he envied Huckleberry his gaudy outcast condition, and was strict orders not to play with him. So he played with him every time he got a chance. Huckleberry was always dressed in the cast-off clothes of full-grown men, and they were in perennial bloom and fluttering with rags. His hat was a vast ruin with a wide crescent lopped out of its brim; his coat, when he wore one, hung nearly to his heels and had the rearward buttons far down the back; but one suspender supported his trousers; the seat of the trousers bagged low and nothing, the fringed legs dragged in the dirt when not rolled up.
Huckleberry came and went, at his own free will. He slept on doorsteps in fine weather and in empty hogsheads in wet; he did not have to go to school or to church, or call any being master or obey anybody; he could go fishing or swimming when and where he chose, and stay as long as it suited him; nobody forbade him to fight; he could sit up as late as he pleased; he was always the first boy that went barefoot in the spring and the last to resume leather in the fall; he never had to wash, nor put on clean clothes; he could swear wonderfully. In a word, everything that goes to make life precious that boy had. So thought every harassed, hampered, respectable boy in St. Petersburg.
Tom hailed the romantic outcast:
"Hello, Huckleberry!"
"Hello yourself, and see how you like it."
"What's that you got?"
"Dead cat."
"Lemme see him, Huck. My, he's pretty stiff. Where'd you get him ?"
"Bought him off'n a boy."
"What did you give?"
"I give a blue ticket and a bladder that I got at the slaughter-house."
"Where'd you get the blue ticket?"
"Bought it off'n Ben Rogers two weeks ago for a hoop-stick."
"Say—what is dead cats good for, Huck?"
"Good for? Cure warts with."
"No! Is that so? I know something that's better."
"I bet you don't. What is it?"
"Why, spunk-water."
"Spunk-water! I wouldn't give a dern for ."
"You wouldn't, wouldn't you? D'you ever try it?"
"No, I hain't. But Bob Tanner did."
"Who told you so!"
"Why, he told Jeff Thatcher, and Jeff told Johnny Baker, and Johnny told Jim Hollis, and Jim told Ben Rogers, and Ben told a nigger, and the nigger told me. There now!"
"Well, what of it? They'll all lie. Leastways all but the nigger. I don't know HIM. But I never see a nigger that WOULDN'T lie. Shucks! Now you tell me how Bob Tanner done it, Huck."
"Why, he took and dipped his hand in a rotten stump where the rain-water was."
"In the daytime?"
"Certainly."
"With his face to the stump?"
"Yes. Least I reckon so."
"Did he say anything?"
"I don't reckon he did. I don't know."
"Aha! Talk about trying to cure warts with such a blame fool way as that! Why, that ain't a-going to do any good. You got to go all by yourself, to the middle of the woods, where you know there's a spunk-water stump, and just as it's midnight you back up against the stump and jam your hand in and say:
'Barley-corn, barley-corn, injun-meal shorts,
Spunk-water, spunk-water, swaller these warts,'
and then walk away quick, eleven steps, with your eyes shut, and then turn around three times and walk home without speaking to anybody. Because if you speak the charm's busted."
"Well, that sounds like a good way; but that ain't the way Bob Tanner done."
"No, sir, you can bet he didn't, becuz he's the wartiest boy in this town; and he wouldn't have a wart on him if he'd knowed how to work . I've took off thousands of warts off of my hands that way, Huck. I play with frogs so much that I've always got considerable many warts. I take 'em off with a bean."
"Yes, bean's good. I've done that."
"Have you? What's your way?"
"You take and split the bean, and cut the wart so as to get some blood, and then you put the blood on one piece of the bean and take and dig a hole and bury it 'bout midnight at the crossroads in the dark of the moon, and then you burn up the rest of the bean. You see that piece that's got the blood on it will keep drawing and drawing, trying to fetch the other piece to it, and so that helps the blood to draw the wart, and pretty soon off she comes."
"Yes, that's it, Huck—that's it; though when you're burying it if you say 'Down bean; off wart; come no more to bother me!' it's better. That's the way Joe Harper does, and he's been nearly to Coonville and most everywheres. But say—how do you cure 'em with dead cats?"
"Why, you take your cat and go and get in the 'long about midnight when somebody that was wicked has been buried; and when it's midnight a devil will come, or maybe two or three, but you can't see 'em, you can only hear something like the wind, or maybe hear 'em talk; and when they're taking that feller away, you heave your cat after 'em and say, 'Devil follow corpse, cat follow devil, warts follow cat, I'm done with ye!' That'll fetch ANY wart."
"Sounds right. D'you ever try it, Huck?"
"No, but old Mother Hopkins told me."
"Well, I reckon it's so, then. Becuz they say she's a witch."
"Say! Why, Tom, I KNOW she is. She witched pap. Pap says so his own self. He come along one day, and he see she was a-witching him, so he took up a rock, and if she hadn't dodged, he'd a got her. Well, that very night he rolled off'n a shed wher' he was a layin drunk, and broke his arm."
"Why, that's awful. How did he know she was a-witching him?"
"Lord, pap can tell, easy. Pap says when they keep looking at you right stiddy, they're a-witching you. Specially if they mumble. Becuz when they mumble they're saying the Lord's Prayer backards."
"Say, Hucky, when you going to try the cat?"
"To-night. I reckon they'll come after old Hoss Williams to-night."
"But they buried him Saturday. Didn't they get him Saturday night?"
"Why, how you talk! How could their charms work till midnight?—and THEN it's Sunday. don't slosh around much of a Sunday, I don't reckon."
"I never thought of that. That's so. Lemme go with you?"
"Of course—if you ain't afeard."
"Afeard! 'Tain't likely. Will you meow?"
"Yes—and you meow back, if you get a chance. Last time, you kep' me a-meowing around till old Hays went to throwing rocks at me and says 'Dern that cat!' and so I hove a brick through his window—but don't you tell."
"I won't. I couldn't meow that night, becuz auntie was watching me, but I'll meow this time. Say—what's that?"
"Nothing but a tick."
"Where'd you get him?"
"Out in the woods."
"What'll you take for him?"
"I don't know. I don't want to sell him."
"All right. It's a mighty small tick, anyway."
"Oh, anybody can run a tick down that don't belong to them. I'm satisfied with it. It's a good enough tick for me."
"Sho, there's ticks a plenty. I could have a of 'em if I wanted to."
"Well, why don't you? Becuz you know mighty well you can't. This is a pretty early tick, I reckon. It's the first one I've seen this year."
"Say, Huck—I'll give you my tooth for him."
"Less see it."
Tom got out a bit of paper and carefully unrolled it. Huckleberry viewed it wistfully. The was very strong. At last he said:
"Is it genuwyne?"
Tom lifted his lip and showed the vacancy.
"Well, all right," said Huckleberry, "it's a trade."
Tom enclosed the tick in the percussion-cap box that had lately been the pinchbug's prison, and the boys separated, each feeling wealthier than before.
When Tom reached the little isolated frame , he strode in briskly, with the manner of one who had come with all honest speed. He hung his hat on a peg and flung himself into his seat with -like alacrity. The master, throned on high in his great splint-bottom arm-chair, was dozing, lulled by the drowsy hum of study. The interruption roused him.
"Thomas Sawyer!"
Tom knew that when his name was pronounced in full, it meant trouble.
"Sir!"
"Come up here. Now, sir, why are you late again, as usual?"
Tom was about to take refuge in a lie, when he saw two long tails of yellow hair hanging down a back that he recognized by the electric sympathy of love; and by that form was THE ONLY VACANT PLACE on the girls' side of the school-house. He instantly said:
"I STOPPED TO TALK WITH HUCKLEBERRY FINN!"
The master's pulse stood still, and he stared . The buzz of study ceased. The pupils if this foolhardy boy had lost his mind. The master said:
"You—you did what?"
"Stopped to talk with Huckleberry Finn."
There was no mistaking the words.
"Thomas Sawyer, this is the most astounding I have ever listened to. No mere ferule will answer for this offence. Take off your jacket."
The master's arm performed until it was tired and the stock of switches notably diminished. Then the order followed:
"Now, sir, go and sit with the girls! And let this be a warning to you."
The titter that rippled around the room appeared to abash the boy, but in reality that result was caused rather more by his worshipful awe of his unknown idol and the dread pleasure that lay in his high good fortune. He sat down upon the end of the pine bench and the girl hitched herself away from him with a toss of her head. Nudges and winks and whispers traversed the room, but Tom sat still, with his arms upon the long, low desk before him, and seemed to study his book.
By and by attention ceased from him, and the school murmur rose upon the dull air once more. Presently the boy began to steal furtive glances at the girl. She observed it, "made a mouth" at him and gave him the back of her head for the space of a minute. When she cautiously faced around again, a peach lay before her. She thrust it away. Tom gently put it back. She thrust it away again, but with less animosity. Tom patiently returned it to its place. Then she let it remain. Tom scrawled on his slate, "Please take it—I got more." The girl glanced at the words, but made no sign. Now the boy began to draw something on the slate, hiding his work with his left hand. For a time the girl refused to notice; but her human curiosity presently began to manifest itself by hardly perceptible signs. The boy worked on, unconscious. The girl made a sort of attempt to see, but the boy did not betray that he was aware of it. At last she gave in and whispered:
"Let me see it."
Tom partly uncovered a dismal caricature of a house with two gable ends to it and a corkscrew of smoke issuing from the chimney. Then the girl's interest began to fasten itself upon the work and she forgot everything else. When it was finished, she gazed a moment, then whispered:
"It's nice—make a man."
The artist erected a man in the front yard, that resembled a derrick. He could have stepped over the house; but the girl was not hypercritical; she was satisfied with the monster, and whispered:
"It's a beautiful man—now make me coming along."
Tom drew an hour-glass with a full moon and straw limbs to it and armed the spreading fingers with a portentous fan. The girl said:
"It's ever so nice—I wish I could draw."
"It's easy," whispered Tom, "I'll learn you."
"Oh, will you? When?"
"At noon. Do you go home to dinner?"
"I'll stay if you will."
"Good—that's a whack. What's your name?"
"Becky Thatcher. What's yours? Oh, I know. It's Thomas Sawyer."
"That's the name they lick me by. I'm Tom when I'm good. You call me Tom, will you?"
"Yes."
Now Tom began to scrawl something on the slate, hiding the words from the girl. But she was not backward this time. She begged to see. Tom said:
"Oh, it ain't anything."
"Yes it is."
"No it ain't. You don't want to see."
"Yes I do, indeed I do. Please let me."
"You'll tell."
"No I won't—deed and deed and double deed won't."
"You won't tell anybody at all? Ever, as long as you live?"
"No, I won't ever tell ANYbody. Now let me."
"Oh, YOU don't want to see!"
"Now that you treat me so, I WILL see." And she put her small hand upon his and a little scuffle ensued, Tom pretending to resist in earnest but letting his hand slip by degrees till these words were revealed: "I LOVE YOU."
"Oh, you bad thing!" And she hit his hand a smart rap, but reddened and looked pleased, .
Just at this juncture the boy felt a slow, fateful grip closing on his ear, and a steady lifting impulse. In that vise he was borne across the house and in his own seat, under a peppering fire of giggles from the whole school. Then the master stood over him during a few awful moments, and finally moved away to his throne without saying a word. But although Tom's ear tingled, his heart was jubilant.
As the school quieted down Tom made an honest effort to study, but the turmoil within him was too great. In turn he took his place in the reading class and made a botch of it; then in the geography class and turned lakes into mountains, mountains into rivers, and rivers into continents, till chaos was come again; then in the spelling class, and got "turned down," by a succession of mere baby words, till he brought up at the foot and yielded up the pewter medal which he had worn with ostentation for months.
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Chapter 7
THE harder Tom tried to fasten his mind on his book, the more his ideas wandered. So at last, with a sigh and a yawn, he gave it up. It seemed to him that the noon recess would never come. The air was utterly dead. There was not a breath stirring. It was the sleepiest of sleepy days. The drowsing murmur of the five and twenty studying scholars soothed the soul like the spell that is in the murmur of bees. Away off in the flaming sunshine, Cardiff Hill lifted its soft green sides through a veil of heat, tinted with the purple of distance; a few birds floated on lazy wing high in the air; no other living thing was visible but some cows, and they were asleep. Tom's heart ached to be free, or else to have something of interest to do to pass the dreary time. His hand wandered into his pocket and his face lit up with a glow of gratitude that was prayer, though he did not know it. Then furtively the percussion-cap box came out. He released the tick and put him on the long flat desk. The creature probably glowed with a gratitude that amounted to prayer, too, at this moment, but it was premature: for when he started thankfully to travel off, Tom turned him aside with a pin and made him take a new direction.
Tom's bosom friend sat next him, suffering just as Tom had been, and now he was deeply and interested in this entertainment in an instant. This bosom friend was Joe Harper. The two boys were sworn friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays. Joe took a pin out of his lapel and began to assist in exercising the prisoner. The sport grew in interest momently. Soon Tom said that they were interfering with each other, and neither getting the fullest benefit of the tick. So he put Joe's slate on the desk and drew a line down the middle of it from top to bottom.
"Now," said he, "as long as he is on your side you can stir him up and I'll let him alone; but if you let him get away and get on my side, you're to leave him alone as long as I can keep him from crossing over."
"All right, go ahead; start him up."
The tick escaped from Tom, presently, and crossed the equator. Joe harassed him awhile, and then he got away and crossed back again. This change of base occurred often. While one boy was worrying the tick with absorbing interest, the other would look on with interest as strong, the two heads bowed together over the slate, and the two souls dead to all things else. At last luck seemed to settle and abide with Joe. The tick tried this, that, and the other course, and got as excited and as anxious as the boys themselves, but time and again just as he would have victory in his very grasp, so to speak, and Tom's fingers would be twitching to begin, Joe's pin would deftly head him off, and keep possession. At last Tom could stand it no longer. The temptation was too strong. So he reached out and lent a hand with his pin. Joe was angry in a moment. Said he:
"Tom, you let him alone."
"I only just want to stir him up a little, Joe."
"No, sir, it ain't fair; you just let him alone."
"Blame it, I ain't going to stir him much."
"Let him alone, I tell you."
"I won't!"
"You shall—he's on my side of the line."
"Look here, Joe Harper, whose is that tick?"
"I don't care whose tick he is—he's on my side of the line, and you sha'n't touch him."
"Well, I'll just bet I will, though. He's my tick and I'll do what I blame please with him, or die!"
A tremendous whack came down on Tom's , and its duplicate on Joe's; and for the space of two minutes the dust continued to fly from the two jackets and the whole school to enjoy it. The boys had been too absorbed to notice the hush that had stolen upon the school awhile before when the master came tiptoeing down the room and stood over them. He had contemplated a good part of the performance before he contributed his bit of variety to it.
When school broke up at noon, Tom flew to Becky Thatcher, and whispered in her ear:
"Put on your bonnet and let on you're going home; and when you get to the corner, give the rest of 'em the slip, and turn down through the lane and come back. I'll go the other way and come it over 'em the same way."
So the one went off with one group of scholars, and the other with another. In a little while the two met at the bottom of the lane, and when they reached the school they had it all to themselves. Then they sat together, with a slate before them, and Tom gave Becky the pencil and held her hand in his, guiding it, and so created another surprising house. When the interest in art began to wane, the two fell to talking. Tom was swimming in bliss. He said:
"Do you love rats?"
"No! I hate them!"
"Well, I do, too—LIVE ones. But I mean dead ones, to swing round your head with a string."
"No, I don't care for rats much, anyway. What I like is chewing-gum."
"Oh, I should say so! I wish I had some now."
"Do you? I've got some. I'll let you chew it awhile, but you must give it back to me."
That was agreeable, so they chewed it turn about, and dangled their legs against the bench in excess of contentment.
"Was you ever at a circus?" said Tom.
"Yes, and my pa's going to take me again some time, if I'm good."
"I been to the circus three or four times—lots of times. Church ain't shucks to a circus. There's things going on at a circus all the time. I'm going to be a clown in a circus when I grow up."
"Oh, are you! That will be nice. They're so lovely, all spotted up."
"Yes, that's so. And they get slathers of money—most a dollar a day, Ben Rogers says. Say, Becky, was you ever engaged?"
"What's that?"
"Why, engaged to be married."
"No."
"Would you like to?"
"I reckon so. I don't know. What is it like?"
"Like? Why it ain't like anything. You only just tell a boy you won't ever have anybody but him, ever ever ever, and then you kiss and that's all. can do it."
"Kiss? What do you kiss for?"
"Why, that, you know, is to—well, they always do that."
"Everybody?"
"Why, yes, everybody that's in love with each other. Do you remember what I wrote on the slate?"
"Ye—yes."
"What was it?"
"I sha'n't tell you."
"Shall I tell YOU?"
"Ye—yes—but some other time."
"No, now."
"No, not now—to-morrow."
"Oh, no, NOW. Please, Becky—I'll whisper it, I'll whisper it ever so easy."
Becky hesitating, Tom took silence for consent, and passed his arm about her waist and whispered the tale ever so softly, with his mouth close to her ear. And then he added:
"Now you whisper it to me—just the same."
She resisted, for a while, and then said:
"You turn your face away so you can't see, and then I will. But you mustn't ever tell anybody—WILL you, Tom? Now you won't, WILL you?"
"No, indeed, indeed I won't. Now, Becky."
He turned his face away. She bent timidly around till her breath stirred his curls and whispered, "I—love—you!"
Then she sprang away and ran around and around the desks and benches, with Tom after her, and took refuge in a corner at last, with her little white apron to her face. Tom clasped her about her neck and pleaded:
"Now, Becky, it's all done—all over but the kiss. Don't you be afraid of that—it ain't anything at all. Please, Becky." And he tugged at her apron and the hands.
By and by she gave up, and let her hands drop; her face, all glowing with the struggle, came up and submitted. Tom kissed the red lips and said:
"Now it's all done, Becky. And always after this, you know, you ain't ever to love anybody but me, and you ain't ever to marry anybody but me, ever never and forever. Will you?"
"No, I'll never love anybody but you, Tom, and I'll never marry anybody but you—and you ain't to ever marry anybody but me, either."
"Certainly. Of course. That's PART of it. And always coming to school or when we're going home, you're to walk with me, when there ain't anybody looking—and you choose me and I choose you at parties, because that's the way you do when you're engaged."
"It's so nice. I never heard of it before."
"Oh, it's ever so gay! Why, me and Amy Lawrence—"
The big eyes told Tom his blunder and he stopped, confused.
"Oh, Tom! Then I ain't the first you've ever been engaged to!"
The child began to cry. Tom said:
"Oh, don't cry, Becky, I don't care for her any more."
"Yes, you do, Tom—you know you do."
Tom tried to put his arm about her neck, but she pushed him away and turned her face to the wall, and went on crying. Tom tried again, with words in his mouth, and was repulsed again. Then his pride was up, and he strode away and went outside. He stood about, restless and uneasy, for a while, glancing at the door, every now and then, hoping she would repent and come to find him. But she did not. Then he began to feel badly and fear that he was in the wrong. It was a hard struggle with him to make new advances, now, but he nerved himself to it and entered. She was still standing back there in the corner, sobbing, with her face to the wall. Tom's heart smote him. He went to her and stood a moment, not knowing exactly how to proceed. Then he said hesitatingly:
"Becky, I—I don't care for anybody but you."
No reply—but sobs.
"Becky"—pleadingly. "Becky, won't you say ?"
More sobs.
Tom got out his chiefest jewel, a brass knob from the top of an andiron, and passed it around her so that she could see it, and said:
"Please, Becky, won't you take it?"
She struck it to the floor. Then Tom marched out of the house and over the hills and far away, to return to school no more that day. Presently Becky began to suspect. She ran to the door; he was not in sight; she flew around to the play-yard; he was not there. Then she called:
"Tom! Come back, Tom!"
She listened intently, but there was no answer. She had no companions but silence and loneliness. So she sat down to cry again and upbraid herself; and by this time the scholars began to gather again, and she had to hide her griefs and still her broken heart and take up the cross of a long, dreary, aching afternoon, with none among the strangers about her to exchange sorrows with.
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Go to top - Navigate Here -PREFACE--------------------Chapter 1Chapter 2Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Chapter 21Chapter 22Chapter 23Chapter 24Chapter 25Chapter 26Chapter 27Chapter 28Chapter 29Chapter 30Chapter 31Chapter 32Chapter 33Chapter 34Chapter 35--------------------CONCLUSION
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This E book Tom Sawyer is being brought to you by a positive force in the workplace. It is my intention to enlighten those of you with shallow minds with great literature, by doing this it can enlighten your spirits and open your minds to something far less destructive than a Union Gathering.
This Pains me greatly to see such malcontents expressing thier inner most thoghts in this fashion; I would sincerely hope that you all take a moment to pray and read the first 7 chapters of ths amazing book before creeping back to such a dismal place where you only see dollars and cents.
I fully expect that all participants of this useless site shall craw back under the skeething rock from where you came and put an end to it all..
Also I would like you all to know we are having An AA Meeting In westbrook and several of you posters certainly need the 12 steps to absolve some of your issues.
Getting Clean and sober will Help
God Loves You
Pray with me
Union meeting.
stockhouse
504 main st westbrook
jan 29 th
6:00 pm
;
Comcast workers are united and working there way to the bargain table and so can we.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st westbrook
jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Dont be held down and denied what you are due.
Go on the internet and see that other time warner workers are joining together to form unions.
If they can do it so can we.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
If you folks expect to form a strong union dont halfstep. Go big or go home. Talk only gos so far.
There is nothing worse than someone that talks a great game and then has a long line of excuses when its time to step up.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
While we were freezin our buts off to day BIG BUSINESS was counting the BIG MONEY and hiding in there cocoon of denial.
By now most of us have received the email that informed us that VP and higher positions at time warner [company wide] will not be getting a raise in pay this year.
If youve been around for a while you know that shit rolls down hill.
These people are not going down alone.
These people will be the ones that determine what our raises will be [if we get one].
If you have been looking for a
reason to sign a union card ,you have one now and it came from the top of time warner.
If you think that you are not next in line to get the shaft you are living in dreamland.
TIME TO WAKE UP.
What will happen to my career path ?.
what career path???
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Breent Mar Says Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved
Brent Marr wins
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
realized they were under federal
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Breent Mar Says Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved
Brent Marr wins
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
Henry E. Hockeimer Jr., who represents John Dougherty, declined to comment. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anita Eve and Paul Gray would not elaborate on their filing.
Gus Dougherty's lawyer, Eric Sitarchuk, declined to comment on the $200,000 issue, but he said he would vigorously oppose the government's motion to allow the jury to hear about the watch and the alleged payment of nearly $900,000.
Eve and Gray argue that the new allegations buttress their case that Gus Dougherty violated the federal Taft-Hartley Act. The act prohibits the payment of money or other gifts to an officer or employee of a labor organization that represents a contractor's employees. Union officers and employees are also barred from accepting such payments, though fair-market transactions are permitted.
IBEW Local 98 lawyer George Bochetto said the local, its officers, and the vast majority of its members were "victims of the acts" of Gus Dougherty, and that "aggressive legal action" was being pursued to hold Gus Dougherty financially responsible for his actions.
"There has never been a scintilla of evidence produced or even alleged that the union in any way countenanced or, for that matter, at the time, even knew about the activities of Gus Dougherty," Bochetto wrote in a letter to The Inquirer yesterday.
Gus Dougherty pleaded guilty last month to 98 federal charges. He admitted paying himself and employees in cash to avoid paying $2.6 million in taxes and about $1 million in required contributions to the union's employee benefit plan. He also pleaded guilty to bribing a bank official who helped him obtain $4.7 million in loans despite his poor credit rating.
Gus Dougherty is contesting the two counts alleging the illegal payments to John Dougherty, who just lost a primary race for the Democratic nomination to replace State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo.
Gus Dougherty's trial will focus on allegations of illegal payments to John Dougherty - through the sale of a Shore house for $24,000 less than market value, and the performance of $115,000 of electrical work on the labor leader's house during the renovation.
The total renovation cost exceeded $400,000, with other work given to another contractor.
In their new filing, prosecutors say Gus Dougherty's firm, Dougherty Electric, got $892,000 between 2001 and 2005 from a special fund intended to subsidize contractors who hired union workers to help them compete against nonunion shops.
He withdrew most of this money as cash, and spent it on such items as a $40,000 entertainment system for his Shore home, prosecutors say in the documents.
The government says he should have been ineligible for the help from the fund because he failed to make $869,000 in required payments to a separate union health and welfare fund.
The government's filing also cites a May 2006 letter from another lawyer for John Dougherty that cited his father-in-law as the source of $200,000, with $52,000 more added by John Dougherty.
Federal authorities are suspicious of John Dougherty's explanation of how he paid for the renovations.
Prosecutors said in their filing that the payment was not documented for more than a year and not until after the people involved realized they were under federal
realized they were under federal
to who ever is reposting stuff, you are an idiot. at least try to say something inteligent... or do u need to check with managemeant or mommy???
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Labor unions in the United States are legally recognized as representatives of workers in numerous industries. The most prominent unions are among public sector employees such as teachers and police. Activity by labor unions in the United States today centers on collective bargaining over wages, benefits, and working conditions for their membership and on representing their members if management attempts to violate contract provisions. Although much smaller compared to their peak membership in the 1950s, unions also remain an important political factor (especially within the Democratic Party), both through mobilization of their own memberships and through coalitions with like-minded activist organizations. Today most unions are aligned with one of two larger umbrella organizations: the AFL-CIO and the Change to Win Federation, which split from the AFL-CIO in 2005. Both organizations advocate policies and legislation favorable to workers in the United States and Canada, and take an active role in politics. The AFL-CIO is especially concerned with global trade issues. American union membership in the private sector has in recent years fallen under 9% — levels not seen since 1932. Workers seem uninterested in joining, and strike activity has almost faded away. The labor force in unionized automobile and steel plants, for example, has fallen dramatically. In another example, Construction trades now only represent approximately 14% of the labor market. The inability to prevent non-union companies from taking significant market share has undercut union membership.[citation needed]
American unions remain an important political factor, both through mobilization of their own memberships and through coalitions with like-minded activist organizations around issues such as immigrant rights, trade policy, health care, and living wage campaigns. Unions allege that employer incited opposition (including engaging in what is commonly termed "union-busting": running "anti-union" campaigns, employing "union-busters" - a.k.a. "union avoidance" consultants, or engaging in unfair labor practices, like firing workers who support the union, which is illegal, but is not adequately punished) has contributed to this decline in membership. Unions have responded by threatening to use their political power to amend United States labor law to restrict or eliminate the requirement for a vote on the issue of union representation, instead relying on card check recognition.
Contents [hide]
1 Union history
2 Labor unions today
2.1 Membership
2.2 Labor Education Programs
2.3 Jurisdiction
3 See also
4 Notes
5 References
[edit] Union history
Main article: Labor history of the United States
[edit] Labor unions today
See also: US labor law
Labor unions in the United States National trade union organization(s)
AFL-CIO, CtW
National government agency(ies)
United States Department of Labor
National Labor Relations Board
Primary trade union legislation
National Labor Relations Act
Taft-Hartley Act
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Trade union membership
15.4 million[1]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Percentage of workforce
▪ Total - 12.5%
▪ Public sector - 36.5%
▪ Private sector - 7.8%
Demographics
▪ Age 16 - 24 - 4.6%
▪ 25 - 34 - 10.7%
▪ 35 - 44 - 13.7%
▪ 45 - 54 - 16.5%
▪ 55 - 64 - 16.5%
▪ 65 and over - 8.9%
▪ Women - 11.3%
▪ Men - 13.5%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Standard Occupational Classification
▪ Management, professional - 13.4%
▪ Service - 11.6%
▪ Sales and office - 7.3%
▪ Natural resources,
construction,
and maintenance - 16.5%
▪ Production,
transportation,
and material moving - 18.0%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Labour Organization
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
United States is a member of the ILO
Convention ratification
Freedom of Association not ratified
Right to Organise not ratified
Today most labor unions in the United States are members of one of two larger umbrella organizations: the American Federation of Labor–Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) or the Change to Win Federation, which split from the AFL-CIO in 2005. Both organizations advocate policies and legislation favorable to workers in the United States and Canada, and take an active role in politics favoring the Democratic party but not exclusively so. The AFL-CIO is especially concerned with global trade issues.
Recently unions have become a larger issue within the 2008 "Economic Crisis" with the three largest automakers seeking $50 Billion in loans in order to stay viable. According to some Senators 'costly labor agreements' including pension and health plans put the U.S. automakers at a disadvantage to foreign companies resulting in their collapse.[2]
The Change to Win Federation concerns itself more with domestic Craft labor issues, contributes to many candidates supportive of labor's issues regardless of party affiliation and chooses to avoid social policy controversies ("Guns, God, and Gays") that do not directly concern the economics and well-being of its members.
Private sector union members are tightly regulated by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), passed in 1935. The law is overseen by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), part of the United States Department of Labor. Public sector unions are regulated partly by federal and partly by state laws. In general they have shown robust growth rates, for wages and working conditions are set through negotiations with elected local and state officials. The unions' political power thus comes into play, and of course the local government cannot threaten to move elsewhere, nor is there any threat from foreign competition. In California the public sector unions have been especially successful.
To join a traditional labor union, workers must either:
be given voluntary recognition from their employer or
have a majority of workers in a "bargaining unit" vote for union representation.
In either case, the government must then certify the newly formed union. Other forms of unionism include minority unionism, Solidarity unionism, and the practices of organizations such as the Industrial Workers of the World, which do not always follow traditional organizational models.
Public sector worker unions are governed by labor laws and labor boards in each of the 50 states. Northern states typically model their laws and boards after the NLRA and the NLRB. In other states, public workers have no right to establish a union as a legal entity. (About 40% of public employees in the USA do not have the right to organize a legally established union.)
Once the union has won the support of a majority of the bargaining unit and is certified in a workplace, it has the sole authority to negotiate the conditions of employment. However, under the NLRA, if a minority of employees voted for a union, those employees can then form a union which represents the rights of only those members who voted for the union. This minority model was once widely used, but was discarded when unions began to consistently win majority support. Unions are beginning to revisit the "members only" model of unionism because of new changes to labor law which unions view as curbing workers' ability to organize.
The employer and the union write the terms and conditions of employment in a legally binding contract. When disputes arise over the contract, most contracts call for the parties to resolve their differences through a grievance process to see if the dispute can be mutually resolved. If the union and the employer still cannot settle the matter, either party can choose to send the dispute to arbitration, where the case is argued before a neutral third party.
In the 1940s and 1950s links to organized crime were discovered in U.S. unions, hurting their image.
Since the 1970s, union membership has been steadily declining in the private-sector while growing in the public sector.
Right-to-work statutes forbid unions from negotiating agency shops. Thus, while unions do exist in "right-to-work" states, they are typically weaker.
Members of labor unions enjoy "Weingarten Rights." If management questions the union member on a matter that may lead to discipline or other changes in working conditions, union members can request representation by a union representative. Weingarten Rights are named for the first Supreme Court decision to recognize those rights.[3]
The NLRA goes farther in protecting the right of workers to organize unions. It protects the right of workers to engage in any "concerted activity" for mutual aid or protection. Thus, no union connection is needed. Concerted activity "in its inception involves only a speaker and a listener, for such activity is an indispensable preliminary step to employee self-organization."[4]
[edit] Membership
Union membership had been steadily declining in the US since 1983. In 2007, the labor department reported the first increase in union memberships in 25 years and the largest increase since 1979. Most of the recent gains in union membership have been in the service sector while the number of unionized employees in the manufacturing sector has declined. Most of the gains in the service sector have come in West Coast states like California where union membership is now at 16.7% compared with a national average of about 12.1% ("Union Membership Up Slightly in 2007".) [1]
Union density (the percentage of workers belonging to unions) has been declining since the late 1940s, however. Almost 36% of American workers were represented by unions in 1945. Today that figure is around 12%. Significantly, the rapid growth of public employee unions since the 1960s has served to mask an even more dramatic decline in private-sector union membership.
At the apex of union density in the 1940s, only about 9.8% of public employees were represented by unions, while 33.9% of private, non-agricultural workers had such representation. In this decade, those proportions have essentially reversed, with 36% of public workers being represented by unions while private sector union density has plummeted to around 7%.
[edit] Labor Education Programs
In the US, labor education programs such as the Harvard Trade Union Program created in 1942 by Harvard University professor John T. Dunlop sought to educate union members to deal with important contemporary workplace and labor law issues of the day. The Harvard Trade Union Program is now currently part of a broader initiative at Harvard Law School called the Labor and Worklife Program that deals with a wide variety of labor and employment issues from union pension investment funds to the effects of nanotechnology on labor markets and the workplace.
[edit] Jurisdiction
Labor unions use the term jurisdiction to refer to their claims to represent workers who perform a certain type of work and the right of their members to perform such work. For example, the work of unloading containerized cargo at United States ports, which both the International Longshore and Warehouse Union and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters have claimed rightfully should be assigned to workers they represent. A jurisdictional strike is a concerted refusal to work undertaken by a union to assert its members' right to such job assignments and to protest the assignment of disputed work to members of another union or to unorganized workers. Jurisdictional strikes occur most frequently in the United States in the construction industry.
Unions also use jurisdiction to refer to the geographical boundaries of their operations, as in those cases in which a national or international union allocates the right to represent workers among different local unions based on the place of those workers' employment, either along geographical lines or by adopting the boundaries between political jurisdictions.
[edit] See also
Labor Unions: International comparisons
Commission on Industrial Relations
Industrial Workers of the World
List of strikes
Timeline of labor unions in the United States
Union affiliation by U.S. state
Labor federation competition in the U.S.
[edit] Notes
^ "Union Members Summary". United States Department of Labor. Retrieved on 2007-04-11.
^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081118/ap_on_go_co/congress_autos
^ NLRB v. J. Weingarten, Inc., 420 U.S. 251 (1975); Tate & Renner Attorneys at Law
^ Root-Carlin, Inc., 92 NLRB 1313, 27 LRRM, 1235, citing NLRB v. City Yellow Cab Co. (6th Cir. 1965), 344 F.2d 575, 582; www.workplacefairness.org
[edit] References
Surveys
Arneson, Eric. ed. Enyclopedia of US Labor and Working-Class History (2006), 650 entries in 1800 pages
Melvyn Dubofsky and Foster Rhea Dulles. Labor in America: A History (2004)
Nelson Lichtenstein. State of the Union: A Century of American Labor (2003)
Paul LeBlanc. A Short History of the U.S. Working Class: From Colonial Times to the Twenty-First Century (1999)
Millie Beik, ed. Labor Relations: Major Issues in American History (2005) over 100 annotated primary documents
To 1900
Commons, John R. History of Labour in the United States - Vol. 2 1860-1896 (1918)
John R. Commons, "American Shoemakers, 1648-1895: A Sketch of Industrial Evolution," Quarterly Journal of Economics 24 (November, 1909), 39-83. in JSTOR
Grob, Gerald N. Workers and Utopia: A Study of Ideological Conflict in the American Labor Movement, 1865-1900 (1961)
John P. Hall, "The Knights of St. Crispin in Massachusetts, 1869-1878," Journal of Economic History 18 (June, 1958), p 161-175
Laslett, John H. M. Labor and the Left: A Study of Socialist and Radical Influences in the American Labor Movement, 1881-1924 (1970)
Mandel, Bernard. Samuel Gompers: A Biography (1963)
Orth, Samuel P. The Armies of Labor: A Chronicle of the Organized Wage-Earners (1919) short overview
Voss, Kim. The Making of American Exceptionalism: The Knights of Labor and Class Formation in the Nineteenth Century (1993)]
Weir, Robert E. Beyond Labor's Veil: The Culture of the Knights of Labor (1996)
Bibliography of online resources on railway labor in late 19th century
1900-1932
Bernstein, Irving. The Lean Years: A History of the American Worker, 1920-33 (1966)
Brody, David. Labor in Crisis: The Steel Strike of 1919 (1965)
Dubofsky, Melvyn and Warren Van Tine. John L. Lewis: A Biography (1986)
Brody, David. Labor in Crisis: The Steel Strike of 1919 (1965)
Faue, Elizabeth. Community of Suffering & Struggle: Women, Men, and the Labor Movement in Minneapolis, 1915-1945 (1991)
Fraser, Steve. Labor Will Rule: Sidney Hillman and the Rise of American Labor (1993)
Gordon, Colin. New Deals: Business, Labor, and Politics, 1920-1935 (1994)
Greene, Julie . Pure and Simple Politics: The American Federation of Labor and Political Activism, 1881-1917 (1998)
Hooker, Clarence. Life in the Shadows of the Crystal Palace, 1910-1927: Ford Workers in the Model T Era (1997)
Laslett, John H. M. Labor and the Left: A Study of Socialist and Radical Influences in the American Labor Movement, 1881-1924 (1970)
Karson, Marc. American Labor Unions and Politics, 1900-1918 (1958)
McCartin, Joseph A. ’Labor's Great War: The Struggle for Industrial Democracy and the Origins of Modern American Labor Relations, 1912-1921 (1997)
Mandel, Bernard. Samuel Gompers: A Biography (1963)
Meyer, Stephen. The Five Dollar Day: Labor Management and Social Control in the Ford Motor Company, 1908-1921 (1981)
Mink, Gwendolyn. Old Labor and New Immigrants in American Political Development: Union, Party, and State, 1875-1920 (1986)
Orth, Samuel P. The Armies of Labor: A Chronicle of the Organized Wage-Earners (1919) short overview
Quint, Howard H. The Forging of American Socialism: Origins of the Modern Movement (1964)
Warne, Colston E. ed. The Steel Strike of 1919 (1963), primary and secondary documents
Zieger, Robert. Republicans and Labor, 1919-1929. (1969)
Primary sources
Gompers, Samuel. Seventy Years of Life and Labor: An Autobiography (1925)
1932 - 1955
Bernstein, Irving. Turbulent Years: A History of the American Worker, 1933-1941 (1970)
Campbell, D'Ann. "Sisterhood versus the Brotherhoods: Women in Unions" Women at War With America: Private Lives in a Patriotic Era (1984).
Dubofsky, Melvyn and Warren Van Time John L. Lewis (1986).
Faue, Elizabeth. Community of Suffering & Struggle: Women, Men, and the Labor Movement in Minneapolis, 1915-1945 (1991), social history
Fraser, Steve. Labor Will Rule: Sidney Hillman and the Rise of American Labor (1993).
Galenson, Walter. The CIO Challenge to the AFL: A History of the American Labor Movement, 1935-1941 (1960)
Gordon, Colin. New Deals: Business, Labor, and Politics, 1920-1935 (1994)
Jensen, Richard J. "The Causes and Cures of Unemployment in the Great Depression," Journal of Interdisciplinary History 19 (1989) p. 553-83
Kennedy, David M. Freedom From Fear: The American People in Depression and War, 1929-1945. (1999) recent narrative.
Lichtenstein, Nelson. Labor's War at Home: The CIO in World War II (2003)
Miller, Sally M., and Daniel A. Cornford eds. American Labor in the Era of World War II (1995), essays by historians, mostly on California
Preis, Art. Labor's Giant Step (1964)
Seidman; Joel. Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen: The Internal Political Life of a National Union (1962)
Vittoz, Stanley. New Deal Labor Policy and the American Industrial Economy (1987)
Zieger, Robert H. The CIO, 1935-1955 (1995)
Fair Employment FEPC
William J. Collins, "Race, Roosevelt, and Wartime Production: Fair Employment in World War II Labor Markets," American Economic Review 91:1 (March 2001), pp. 272-286
Andrew Edmund Kersten, Race, Jobs, and the War: The FEPC in the Midwest, 1941-46 (2000) online review
Merl E. Reed. Seedtime for the Modern Civil Rights Movement: The President's Committee on Fair Employment Practice, 1941-1946 (1991)
Taft-Hartley and the NLRA
Abraham, Steven E. "The Impact of the Taft-Hartley Act on the Balance of Power in Industrial Relations" American Business Law Journal Vol. 33, 1996
Ballam, Deborah A. "The Impact of the National Labor Relations Act on the U.S. Labor Movement" American Business Law Journal, Vol. 32, 1995
Brooks, George W., Milton Derber, David A. McCabe, Philip Taft. Interpreting the Labor Movement (1952)
Gilbert J. Gall, The Politics of Right to Work: The Labor Federations as Special Interests, 1943-1979 (1988)
Fred A. Hartley Jr. and Robert A. Taft. Our New National Labor Policy: The Taft-Hartley Act and the Next Steps (1948)
Lee, R. Alton. Truman and Taft-Hartley: A Question of Mandate (1966)
Harry A. Millis and Emily Clark Brown. From the Wagner Act to Taft-Hartley: A Study of National Labor Policy and Labor Relations (1950)
Walter Reuther and UAW
Secondary sources
Boyle, Kevin. The UAW and the Heyday of American Liberalism, 1945-1968 (1995)
Kornhauser, Arthur et al. When Labor Votes: A Study of Auto Workers (1956)
Lichtenstein, Nelson. The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit: Walter Reuther and the Fate of American Labor (1995)
Lichtenstein, Nelson and Stephen Meyer, eds. On the Line: Essays in the History of Auto Work (1989)
Primary sources
Christman, Henry M. ed. Walter P. Reuther: Selected Papers (1961)
1955 - 2006
Taylor E. Dark; The Unions and the Democrats: An Enduring Alliance Cornell University Press. 1999
Rick Fantasia & Kim Voss. Hard Work: Remaking the American Labor Movement (2004)
Galenson, Walter; The American Labor Movement, 1955-1995 (1996)
Arthur J. Goldberg; AFL-CIO, Labor United (1956)
Leiter, Robert D. The Teamsters Union: A Study of Its Economic Impact (1957)
Jo-Ann Mort (Ed), Not Your Father's Union Movement: Inside the AFL-CIO" (2002)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labor_unions_in_the_United_States"
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AFL-CIO
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations
Founded 1886
Cur. affiliation date 1955
Members 10,000,000+ (2008)[1]
Country Canada
United States
Affiliation ITUC
Key people John J. Sweeney, president
Office location Washington, D.C.
Website aflcio.org
American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL-CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions (including Canadian), together representing more than 10 million workers. It was formed in 1955 when the AFL and the CIO merged after a long estrangement. From 1955 until 2005, the AFL-CIO's member unions represented nearly all unionized workers in the United States. The largest union in the AFL-CIO is the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), with more than a million members, since 2005 when several large unions split away from AFL-CIO.
Contents [hide]
1 Membership
2 Governance
2.1 Executive council
2.2 Executive committee
2.3 General Board
2.4 State and local bodies
2.5 Constitutional departments
2.6 Constituency groups
2.7 Allied organizations
2.8 Allied groups
2.9 Programs
3 International policy
4 History
4.1 Presidents
5 Member unions
6 See also
7 References
8 Notes
9 External links
[edit] Membership
AFL-CIO headquarters at 815 16th Street NW in Washington, D.C.. St. John's Episcopal Church is on the right.The AFL-CIO is a federation of international labor unions. As a voluntary federation, the AFL-CIO has little authority over the affairs of its member unions except in extremely limited cases (such as the ability to expel a member union for corruption (Art. X, Sec. 17) and enforce resolution of disagreements over jurisdiction or organizing). As of January 2007, accounting for the disaffiliation of the Change to Win Federation unions, the AFL-CIO had 54 member unions.
Membership in the AFL-CIO is largely unrestricted. Since its inception as the American Federation of Labor, the AFL-CIO has supported an image of the federation as the "House of Labor"—an all-inclusive, national federation of "all" labor unions. Currently, the AFL-CIO's only explicit restriction on membership excludes those labor unions whose "policies and activities are consistently directed toward the achievement of the program or purposes of authoritarianism, totalitarianism, terrorism and other forces that suppress individual liberties and freedom of association..." (Art. II, Sec. 7). Under Art. II, Sec. 4 and Sec. 8, the AFL-CIO has the authority to place conditions on the issuance of charters, and formally has endorsed the policy of merging small unions into larger ones. In 2001, the AFL-CIO formally established rules regarding the size, financial stability, governance structure, jurisdiction, and leadership stability of unions seeking affiliation. And although the AFL-CIO constitution permits the federation to charter Directly Affiliated Local Unions, the AFL-CIO has largely refused to charter such unions since the 1970s.
Some of the current member unions are listed in section Member unions.
[edit] Governance
The AFL-CIO is governed by its members, who meet in a quadrennial convention. Each member union elects delegates, based on proportional representation. The AFL-CIO's state federations, central and local labor councils, constitutional departments, and constituent groups are also entitled to delegates. The delegates elect officers and vice presidents, debate and approve policy, and set dues.
[edit] Executive council
The AFL-CIO has three executive officers: president, secretary-treasurer and executive vice president. The executive vice president is the most recently established office; it was created by constitutional amendment in 1995. Each officer's term is four years, and elections occur at the quadrennial convention.
Current officers are:
President: John J. Sweeney (1995- )
Secretary-Treasurer: Richard Trumka (1995- )
Executive Vice-President: Arlene Holt Baker (2007- )
The AFL-CIO membership also elects 43 vice presidents at each convention, who have a term of four years. Election is by plurality, with the top 43 candidates with the highest votes winning office. Article VI, Sec. 5, of the AFL-CIO constitution permits the president of the federation to appoint up to three additional vice presidents during the period when the convention is not in session, in order to increase the racial, gender, ethnic and sexual diversity of the executive council.
The three officers and the vice presidents form the executive council, which is the federation's governing body between quadrennial conventions. It is required to meet twice a year, and in practice meets four or five times a year. It passes resolutions, directly oversees AFL-CIO's legislative program, and has other duties. In 2005, the AFL-CIO constitution was changed to permit the executive council to form "Industrial Coordinating Committees" based on geography, employer, occupation or other appropriate subdivisions to coordinate the organizing and collective bargaining work of the member unions.
[edit] Executive committee
An executive committee was authorized by constitutional change in 2005. The executive committee is composed of the president, vice presidents from the 10 largest affiliates, and nine other vice presidents chosen in consultation with the executive council. The other two officers are non-voting ex officio members. The executive committee governs the AFL-CIO between meetings of the executive council, approves its budget, and issues charters (two duties formerly discharged by the executive council). It is required to meet at least four times a year, and in practice meets on an as-needed basis (which may mean once a month or more).
[edit] General Board
The AFL-CIO also has a General Board. Its members are the AFL-CIO executive council, the chief executive officer of each member union, the president of each AFL-CIO constitutional department, and four regional representatives elected by the AFL-CIO's state federations. The General Board's duties are very limited. It only takes up matters referred to it by the executive council, but referrals are rare. However, because of the sensitive nature of political endorsements and the advisability of consensus when making them, the General Board traditionally is the body that provides the AFL-CIO's endorsement of candidates for president and vice president of the United States.
[edit] State and local bodies
Article XIV of the AFL-CIO constitution permits the AFL-CIO to charter and organize state, regional, local and city-wide bodies. They are commonly called "state federations" and "central labor councils" (CLCs), although the names of the various bodies varies widely at the local and regional level. Each body has its own charter, which establishes its jurisdiction, governance structure, mission, and more. Jurisdiction tends to be geo-political: Each state or territory has its own "state federation." In large cities, there is usually a CLC covering the city. Outside large cities, CLCs tend to be regional (to achieve an economy of scale in terms of dues, administrative effectiveness, etc.). State federations and CLCs are each entitled to representation and voting rights at the quadrennial convention.
The duties of state federations differ from those of CLCs. State federations tend to focus on state legislative lobbying, statewide economic policy, state elections, and other issues of a more over-arching nature. CLCs tend to focus on county or city lobbying, city or county elections, county or city zoning and other economic issues, and more local needs.
Both state federations and CLCs work to mobilize members around organizing campaigns, collective bargaining campaigns, electoral politics, lobbying (most often rallies and demonstrations), strikes, picketing, boycotts, and similar needs.
Although the AFL-CIO constitution requires that all state and local unions affiliate with the appropriate state and local AFL-CIO body, in practice this is not enforced. Many unions do not affiliate with their state federation or CLC, or affiliate only a portion of their membership, leaving state feds and CLCs chronically short of funds.
Interestingly, the AFL-CIO constitution permits international unions to pay state fed and CLC dues directly, rather than have each local or state fed pay them. This relieves each union's state and local affiliates of the administrative duty of assessing, collecting and paying the dues. International unions assess the AFL-CIO dues themselves, and collect them on top of their own dues-generating mechanisms or simply pay them out of the dues the international collects. But not all international unions pay their required state fed and CLC dues.[2]
State federations and CLCs are historically important to the AFL and its successor, the AFL-CIO. George Meany, for example, had little experience as a union member or local union leader, but rose quickly to the top of the AFL-CIO due to his effectiveness as president of the New York State AFL. During the AFL's early history, when the federation remained as apolitical as possible, state feds were the legislative dynamos—lobbying for workers' compensation, unemployment insurance, child labor laws and the minimum wage. But in the 1970s and 1980s, state feds and CLCs became organizational backwaters. They were revitalized beginning in 1995, when John Sweeney campaigned heavily for their votes in his successful quest to unseat AFL-CIO interim president Thomas R. Donahue. Sweeney has continued to emphasize them throughout his presidency.
[edit] Constitutional departments
Throughout its history, the AFL-CIO had a number of constitutionally mandated departments. They are governed by Article XII of the constitution. Initially, the rationale for having them was that affiliates felt that such decisions should not be left to the whims (or political needs) of the president of the federation.
Currently, Art. XII establishes seven departments, but allows the executive council or convention of the AFL-CIO to establish others. Each department is largely autonomous, but its must conform to the AFL-CIO's constitution and policies. Each department has its own constitution, membership, officers, governance structure, dues and organizational structure. Departments may establish state and local bodies. Any member union of the AFL-CIO may join a department, provided it formally affiliates and pays dues. The chief executive officer of each department is may sit in on the meetings of the AFL-CIO executive council, and departments have representation and voting rights at the AFl-CIO convention.
One of the most famous departments was the Industrial Union Department (IUD). It had been constitutionally mandated by the new AFL-CIO constitution created by the merger of the AFL and CIO in 1955, as CIO unions felt that the AFL's commitment to industrial unionism was not strong enough to permit the department to survive without a constitutional mandate. For many years, the IUD was a de facto organizing department in the AFL-CIO. For example, it provided money to the near-destitute American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as it attempted to organize the United Federation of Teachers in 1961. The organizing money enabled the AFT to win the election and establish its first large collective bargaining affiliate. For many years, the IUD remained rather militant on a number of issues. It provided to be a center of opposition to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, and was abolished in 1999.
As of January 2007, there are six AFL-CIO constitutionally mandated departments:
Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Maritime Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Metal Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Department for Professional Employees, AFL-CIO
Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
Union Label Department, AFL-CIO
[edit] Constituency groups
"Constituency groups" are nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations chartered and funded by the AFL-CIO to enhance the representational effectiveness of various under-represented groups. Usually they serve as a means to enhance the organizing of new members and as voter registration and mobilization bodies. The four more mature constituency groups are A. Phillip Randolph Institute, Alliance for Retired Americans, Coalition of Black Trade Unionists and Coalition of Labor Union Women. They conduct research, host training and educational conferences, issue research reports and publications, lobby for legislation and build coalitions with other groups.
Although constituency groups are not explicitly mentioned in the AFL-CIO constitution, the AFL-CIO exercises its general authority under Article XII to establish them in much the same way that it establishes other departments. Each constituency group has its own charter, officers, governance structure, etc., as constitutionally mandated departments do. They also have the right to sit in on AFL-CIO executive council meetings, and have representational and voting rights at AFL-CIO conventions. Many constituency groups are not self-sustaining and receive significant funding from the AFL-CIO.
As of January 2007, there are seven constituency groups within the AFL-CIO:
A. Philip Randolph Institute
Alliance for Retired Americans
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance
Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
Coalition of Labor Union Women
Labor Council for Latin American Advancement
Pride at Work
[edit] Allied organizations
"Allied organizations" are nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations chartered and funded by the AFL-CIO to serve certain policy goals of the federation. They have evolved in a number of ways. For example, the American Center for International Labor Solidarity started out as the Free Trade Union Committee (FTUC), an "independent" organization funded and controlled by the AFL to promote anti-communist labor unions overseas.[3] However, the Working for America Institute started out as a nonconstitutional department of the AFL-CIO. Established in 1958, it was previously known as the Human Resources Development Institute (HRDI). President Sweeney renamed the department and spun it off as an "independent" organization in 1998 to act as a lobbing group to promote economic development, develop new economic polices, and lobby Congress on economic policy.[4]
Although allied organizations are not explicitly mentioned in the AFL-CIO constitution, the AFL-CIO exercises its general authority under Article XII to establish them in much the same way that it establishes other departments. Each allied organization has its own charter, officers, governance structure, etc., as constitutionally mandated departments do. However, they do not have the right to sit in on AFL-CIO executive council meetings, and do not have representational or voting rights at AFL-CIO conventions. The current three allied organization are all self-sustaining. Their boards are interlocking with the AFL-CIO executive council.
As of January 2007, there are three allied organizations:
American Center for International Labor Solidarity
International Labor Communications Association
Working for America Institute
[edit] Allied groups
"Allied groups" are organizations that have more informal relationships to the AFL-CIO. Some, like the Labor and Working-Class History Association, are truly independent organizations that wish to work very closely with the AFL-CIO and promote its mission and goals. Others, like American Rights at Work, are independent in name only; they are nonprofit, nonpartisan organizations with their own articles of incorporation, charter, governance structure, etc., but are funded largely by the AFL-CIO, and their boards are dominated by its directors. Others are plainly programs of the AFL-CIO operated as federation-wide, cross-cutting organizations serving AFL-CIO goals (such as disaster relief or member mobilization apart from legislative or organizing work). These programs have little or no staff (often using staff already employed by the AFL-CIO), and little or no need for funding (or using funds provided on an as-needed basis through existing AFL-CIO budgets).
As of January 2007, there are four allied groups:
American Rights at Work
Community Services Network
Labor and Working-Class History Association
Working America
[edit] Programs
"Programs" are organizations established and controlled by the AFL-CIO to serve certain organizational goals. Because of legal requirements (such as federal and state securities laws), they are truly independent organizations. But their governance structures are either dominated by or have sizable blocks of AFL-CIO directors, which effectively direct them to implement policies favored by the AFL-CIO.
Programs serve a variety of goals. For example, the AFL-CIO Building Trust enables union pension and health funds to invest in the for-profit Building Investment Trust. The Trust then uses this capital to construct office buildings, hotels, housing developments, and other capital construction. Some profits are kept by the Trust to build its investment capabilities, the rest are distributed to the investors. Other programs serve goals such as the banking needs of individual union members (AFL-CIO Credit Union) or to provide credit card and other consumer services (Union Privilege).
As of January 2007, there were five programs of the AFL-CIO:
AFL-CIO Building Investment Trust
AFL-CIO Credit Union
AFL-CIO Housing Investment Trust
National Labor College
Union Privilege
[edit] International policy
The AFL-CIO is affiliated to the Brussels-based International Trade Union Confederation, formed November 1, 2006, and incorporating the member organizations of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions, of which the AFL-CIO had long been part. The ITUC is the most representative international labor grouping.
[edit] History
For the history of the AFL-CIO prior to and including the merger see American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations and Labor unions in the United States.
In 2003, the AFL-CIO began an intense internal debate over the future of the labor movement in the United States with the creation of the New Unity Partnership (NUP), a loose coalition of some of the AFL-CIO's largest unions. This debate intensified in 2004, after the defeat of labor-backed candidate John Kerry in the November 2004 U.S. presidential election. The NUP's program for reform of the federation included reduction of the central bureaucracy, more money spent on organizing new members rather than on electoral politics, and a restructuring of unions and locals, eliminating some smaller locals and focusing more along the lines of industrial unionism.
In 2005, the NUP dissolved and the Change to Win Federation formed, threatening to secede from the AFL-CIO if its demands for major reorganization were not met. As the AFL-CIO prepared for its 50th anniversary convention in late July, three of the federations' four largest unions announced their withdrawal from the federation: the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the International Brotherhood of Teamsters ("The Teamsters"), and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). The Laborers' International Union of North America and the United Farm Workers remain members of both the AFL-CIO and Change to Win Federation.
In addition to the issues listed above, the dispute was seen as deeply personal. SEIU President Andy Stern, the most outspoken leader of the Change to Win coalition, was once considered the protege of former SEIU President and current AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney.
[edit] Presidents
George Meany (1955-1979)
Lane Kirkland (1979-1995)
Thomas R. Donahue (1995)
John J. Sweeney (1995- )
[edit] Member unions
Below is a list of some of the Unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO:
Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA)
Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU)
American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE)
American Federation of Musicians (AFM)
American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA)
American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)
American Federation of Teachers (AFT)
American Postal Workers Union (APWU)
American Radio Association (ARA)
American Train Dispatchers Department (ATDD)
Associated Actors and Artists of America (AAAA or 4As)
Actors' Equity Association (AEA)
American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA)
American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA)
American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA)
Hebrew Actors' Union (HAU; 1899–2005)
Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
The Guild of Italian American Actors (GIAA)
Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers' International Union (BCTGM)
Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS)
California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee (CNA/NNOC)
California School Employees Association (CSEA)
Communications Workers of America (CWA)
Farm Labor Organizing Committee (FLOC)
Federation of Professional Athletes (NFLPA)
Glass, Molders, Pottery, Plastics and Allied Workers International Union (GMPIU
International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employes (IATSE)
International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers (Ironworkers)
International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF)
International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Asbestos Workers (AWIU)
International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)
International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers (Boilermakers)
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW)
International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE)
International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU)
International Longshoremen's Association (ILA)
International Plate Printers, Die Stampers and Engravers Union of North America (Printers & Engravers)
International Union of Allied Novelty and Production Workers (Novelty and Production Workers)
International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC)
International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC)
International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE)
International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT)
International Union of Police Associations (IUPA)
Marine Engineers Beneficial Association (MEBA)
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA)
National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC)
National Postal Mail Handlers Union (NPMHU)
Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU)
Operative Plasterers' and Cement Masons' International Association (OPCMIA)
Seafarers International Union of North America (SIU)
Sheet Metal Workers International Association (SMWIA)
Transport Workers Union of America (TWU)
United American Nurses (UAN)
United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry of the United States and Canada (UA)
United Auto Workers (UAW)
United Mine Workers of America (UMWA)
United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial & Service Workers International Union (USW)
United Transportation Union (UTU)
United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers (Roofers and Waterproofers)
Utility Workers of America (UWUA)
Writers Guild of America, East (WGA-East)
[edit] See also
Organized Labour portal
Labor unions in the United States
Labor movement
List of U.S. trade unions
Directly Affiliated Local Union (DALU)
Change to Win Federation
Labor federation competition in the U.S.
Union Organizer
[edit] References
Amber, Michelle. "SEIU Agrees to Pay Nearly $4 Million to Settle Dispute With AFL-CIO Over Dues." Daily Labor Report. March 2, 2006.
Constitution of the AFL-CIO, as amended at the Twenty-Fifth Constitutional Convention, July 25-28, 2005. Accessed January 15, 2007.
Gilroy, Tom. "Labor to Stress Get-Out-the-Vote Among Members in Fall Elections." Labor Relations Week. October 21, 1998.
Greenhouse, Steven. "For Chairwoman of Breakaway Labor Coalition, Deep Roots in the Movement." New York Times. October 10, 2005.
[edit] Notes
^ "A.F.L.-C.I.O. Endorses Obama" (html). New York Times. Retrieved on 2006-06-27.
^ Michelle Amber, "SEIU Agrees to Pay Nearly $4 Million to Settle Dispute With AFL-CIO Over Dues," Daily Labor Report, March 2, 2006.
^ Under AFL-CIO president Lane Kirkland, the Free Trade Union Committee was broken into the four units: the American Institute for Free Labor Development (AIFLD), which covered Latin America; the African-American Labor Center (AALC); the Asian-American Free Labor Institute (AAFLI); and the Free Trade Union Institute (FTUI), which encompassed Europe. In 1997, these four units were merged into one organization, renamed the American Center for International Labor Solidarity.
^ Gilroy, Tom. "Labor to Stress Get-Out-the-Vote Among Members in Fall Elections," Labor Relations Week, October 21, 1998.
[edit] External links
AFL-CIO official website
List of AFL-CIO affiliated unions
Speeches from the 2005 AFL-CIO convention
Teamster's Disaffiliation letter to John Sweeney, President AFL-CIO 2005
Workers Independent News
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFL-CIO"
Categories: AFL-CIO | National federations of trade unions | Organizations established in 1886 | Organizations established in 1955 | 527 groups
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The Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO (BCTD) is a constitutionally mandated department of the AFL-CIO. It was founded on February 10, 1908, as a way to overcome the jurisdictional conflicts occurring in the building and construction trade unions. It was largely unsuccessful in this task; conflict ended only after the Taft-Hartley Act largely outlawed jurisdictional strikes.
The BCTD coordinates the activity of building and construction trade unions belonging to the AFL-CIO by establishing jurisdictional rules, coordinating how work is assigned at construction sites, mediating jurisdictional and work assignment disputes, and coordinating interaction between the AFL-CIO's construction unions and employers.
The BCTD also conducts research into construction workplace health and safety issues. It lobbies the United States Congress and executive branch agencies (such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration) on health, safety, wages (e.g., the Davis-Bacon Act), and other legislative and regulatory issues. The organization also helps its affiliate unions establish, coordinate and uphold minimum educational standards for apprenticeship and journeyman training programs.
[edit] References
Palladino, Grace. Skilled Hands, Strong Spirits: A Century of Building Trades History. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 2005. ISBN 0801443202
[edit] External links
BCTD Web site
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Building_and_Construction_Trades_Department,_AFL-CIO"
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This page was last modified on 14 January 2009, at 18:45. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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[+] Congress of Industrial Organizations (0)
Pages in category "Former United States labor unions"
The following 26 pages are in this category, out of 26 total. This list may sometimes be slightly out of date (learn more)
A
Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America
Amalgamated Meat Cutters
Amalgamated Society of Carpenters and Joiners
American Labor Union
American Railway Union
C
Central Labor Union
Cigar Makers' International Union
Congress of Industrial Organizations
D
Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement
F
Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions
H
Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Union
I
Independent Association of Continental Pilots
International Fur & Leather Workers Union
International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union
International Photo-Engravers Union of North America
International Union of United Brewery, Flour, Cereal, Soft Drink and Distillery Workers
K
Knights of Labor
L
Loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumbermen
N
National Labor Union
P
Progressive Mine Workers
S
Southern Tenant Farmers Union
T
Trade Union Unity League
U
Union of Needletrades, Industrial and Textile Employees
United Hebrew Trades
United Order of American Carpenters
W
Western Labor Union
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Former_United_States_labor_unions"
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This page was last modified on 18 August 2007, at 08:23. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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The United Order of American Carpenters and Joiners was a trade union in the United States. It represented carpenters in the New York City area, making it one of the largest carpenters' unions in the U.S. in the 1880s. It merged with the Brotherhood of Carpenters in 1888 to form the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
[edit] References
Foner, Philip S. History of the Labor Movement in the United States. Vol. 1: From Colonial Times to the Founding of the American Federation of Labor. New York: International Publishers, 1947. Cloth ISBN 0-7178-0089-X; Paperback ISBN 0-7178-0376-7
Foner, Philip S. History of the Labor Movement in the United States. Vol. 2: From the Founding of the American Federation of Labor to the Emergence of American Imperialism. New York: International Publishers, 1955. Cloth ISBN 0-7178-0092-X; Paperback ISBN 0-7178-0388-0
Galenson, Walter. The United Brotherhood of Carpenters: The First Hundred Years. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1983. ISBN 0-674-92196-8
This article related to a United States labor union is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Order_of_American_Carpenters"
Categories: 1888 disestablishments | Former United States labor unions | Building and construction trade unions | United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America | United States trade union stubsViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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This page was last modified on 4 January 2009, at 00:49. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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Welsh
See Boys we need bangor and winslow so lets get this thing rolling only 20 card this weeek Remember $30 per tech to get the signed ...
Fuck all of the management thugs I will bring this union In Just wait..
I have a much larger phone list now
Look at the history of our country.
You can only hold a group of people down for so long then they will rise up and join together for better treatment.
I HAVE A DREAM
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
First off, let's get a moderator here to clear out the spam.
Second, If someone has a reasonable disagreement about whether or not a union should be brought in, let's hear it, if the best you can offer is cut and paste spam, that kind of indicates you have no valid argument. It's the equivalent of a three year old shouting NO, sticking his fingers in his ears and yelling gibberish. Argument won? With that kind of behavior it has to be manangement.
Now, to the fence-sitters on this issue - Sitting back and waiting for a vote to show up is not an option. Take a stand - which side are you on boys(and girls), which side are you on.
If you have questions about the union, show up to a meeting and ask. No one can keep you from hanging out with people after work.
A few things should be pretty apparent though. When it was -14 degrees outside, and you were freezing your ass off hanging drops, did you see a single fairpoint or cmp truck those days?
Fairpoint is about to do their cutover, yet they wouldn't risk their techs. Why? Because the techs had someone looking out for them. The techs had a union. We have a page and a half of training on hypothermia, and a page and a half on frostbite, and are sent out on the road.
Here's why you shouldn't go out when it's really cold, here's the 90 points we want you to do.
What about career path - any of the people who were buying the lies about career path a few months ago run face first into reality yet? How's that 2 weeks between request and practical working out? How about requests for books? You still think you will be making 28 bucks an hour in three years? Or has the reality that there are techs that have been here 10 years that aren't making that money set in? What about the reality that those guys were given the same promises when they first started.
Show up, ask questions in an environment where you can. Don't listen too the garbage about threats and intimidation. NO ONE has ever been forced to sign a card. Every card that I have received has been signed by a tech that approached me and asked for one. There are no union thugs (Sorry Steve and DJ - you guys are great, but pretty much any TW tech can take you in an "intimidation" situation)
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Don't worry 7 o'clock people - we will still be there.
Almost forgot
United we bargain
Divided we beg
If you can dream it you can do it.
Now is our time.
BRENT
TECH # 204
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed to stir up workers during strikes. This makes things worse.
Labor unions cripple workers by making them dependent on the union for continued wage increases and benefits. The labor union inflates the value of their jobs.
Labor unions are bullies! They use old school tactics that rely mostly on fear and intimidation
In my opinion, labor unions need to go away. They once served a purpose but that time has long since past. They have turned into very powerful, self serving organizations that are hurting America and our ability to compete with the rest of the world.
September 1, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
Service union vice president steps down amid probe
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LOS ANGELES (AP) -- An executive vice president of the Service Employees International Union has stepped aside in the midst of financial probes, and her ex-boyfriend was told to repay tens of thousands of dollars in union funds, the Los Angeles Times reported Sunday.
The SEIU acknowledged Saturday that its top California officer, Annelle Grajeda, has taken a leave of absence while it investigates allegations that she was improperly involved in making payments to her former boyfriend.
SEIU spokeswoman Elizabeth Brennan issued a statement Saturday saying Grajeda's voluntary leave was designed to "rule out any questions about the thoroughness and transparency of the union's actions to clear up these allegations and questions."
Grajeda was "very confident" she would be exonerated, she told the Times on Saturday.
The SEIU said that it has demanded that her ex-boyfriend, former Los Angeles chapter president Alejandro Stephens, return money he received from the local and the state council.
He was paid nearly $89,000 in consulting fees and "disbursements for official business" by those entities last year, according to the union's financial filings with the U.S. Labor Department.
That money was part of a severance agreement made with Stephens when he lost his presidency of the local chapter when it consolidated with some others, SEIU spokeswoman Michelle Ringuette said.
The union contends he violated that agreement by taking money from the local chapter while working as a county employee.
Two other SEIU leaders have been placed on leave recently amid allegations that the group's largest local, United-Long-Term Care Workers, misspent $1 million of members' dues.
The local, which represents thousands of health care employees, is the subject of federal inquiries into payments that made to companies owned by relatives of local President Tyrone Freeman. Freeman and his former chief of staff, Rickman Jackson, who now heads the ULTCW's Detroit local, are both on leave.
September 1, 2008 1:57 PM
Anonymous said...
Powerful Philly IBEW in corruption probe
In a new court filing, prosecutors investigating John J. Dougherty's extensive home renovations disclose what they say is the labor leader's explanation for how he paid for some of the work: His father-in-law provided $200,000. But in the same court filing, entered late Wednesday, prosecutors say the chief financial officer for the contractor has no record of any $200,000 payment. Sources said authorities had been told by parties involved that the $200,000 was delivered in cash.
The document was filed in preparation for the May 19 trial of the contractor, Donald "Gus" Dougherty Jr., who is accused of doing much of the work free in violation of a law that prohibits contractors from providing gifts to leaders of unions doing related work.
John Dougherty, business manager of Local 98 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, remains under investigation but has not been charged with any wrongdoing. He says he has done nothing wrong.
The documents added detail to the allegations about a close financial tie between the Doughertys, who are not related but who have been friends since childhood in South Philadelphia. They include:
That Gus Dougherty gave John Dougherty a $5,533 ladies' Cartier watch that the union leader, in turn, gave to a "personal friend" as a birthday gift in 2004.
That Gus Dougherty improperly collected $900,000 from a special union fund even as he failed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars into a separate union health and welfare account. Prosecutors say this is additional evidence that the contractor had a motive to do free work for John Dougherty.
We can get these cards to rockland and lewiston....
there is nothing they can do ..
I will drive them up this week and personally deliver them
Thanks for your support Solidarity Brothers
Lets show them how stong we really are. it is now more important with obama in office.one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
I will arrange a meeting at waterville this week.
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
lot of determination to make theirsomeone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
workplace a better place to work.someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PMsomeone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said... someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
someone who is trying to filibuster the blog. I can try to get those posts removed.
Its too bad that you do not trust anyone in your office. I have met many techs from almost every office on many occasions and they are all pretty smart and capable individuals with a lot of determination to make their workplace a better place to work.
Have you been to a meeting? I've been to almost all of them and they were all very well attended. So I'm not sure what you are talking about when you say meeting attendance has been dismal.
Names posted were removed unless the tech didn't care that their name was used.
"And is the intellect displayed on this blog is a true cross section of the average cable technician how can any of us hope to negotiate a "decent" contract against a professional legal team employed by TWC?"
The blog is not a true cross section and never claimed to be. Just another venue to get questions answered and to vent about work - good or bad. There are also managers on here regularly who pose as techs and post anti-union rants.
Unions negotiate great contracts all the time. The IBEW just recently finished negotiating with the "professional" legal teams employed by Verizon and FairPoint. Both contracts were big wins for the workers they cover.
I'll finish by saying that you shouldn't allow the blog to determine whether you are pro-union or anti-union. The blog really has nothing to do with the campaign itself. Its just a democratic way of getting information out there. If you don't like what you are reading or are offended by certain posts, then stay off. There are other ways to stay informed. And again the campaign will not be won or lost on the blog.
I hope I've answered all of your concerns. Feel free to contact Steve or I whenever if you have any more. Either by phone or on here.
September 14, 2008 11:29 AM
Okay this is all for today said...
I really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
September 14, 2008 1:23 PM
Anonymous said...
There has been alot of talk about geting the facts and doing research about unions. I have talked to people that are and have been union members. By far these people talk very positivly about there union experience.
I have seen the problems we have with our jobs year after year. They dont seem to exist in a union work environment.
I dont belive that if we fill out union cards and vote for a union that 100% of our problems will be solved overnite but it will be a very good start in the right direction.
Time for a change .
union yes.
September 14, 2008 7:03 PM
this is all for today said...
I like your wording "overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated. Okay give me an example of how you have had it treated in prior contracts? Have you NOT mandated this to the greenhorns?Are the veterans made to complete OT if a greenhorn is available? Look why should I come to your meeting when I can get you to answer all of my questions here and I won't have to use my gas to drive to Portland or are the company guys driving their TWC vehicles to your meetings? This is interseting hope they did not forget they have GPS. I would not want to get in trouble for doing personal use in my truck oh maybe like brent driving all over the place during work hours trying to sell the union to everyone...hmmm how does your production report line up with your GPS? I wonder lately? Okay and TWC being able to control its work flow. Hmmm. Have you ever had a budget? Do you know how it works? If there is no money in there for contract labor then I would assume you work more overtime. The big question here really is this... How many of you techs would complain if you only got 40 hrs per week? Think real hard boys and girls and I dont think the answer is none is ot king of portland? You are unhappy both ways so what you really need to do is deal with it cause at some point you need to find the medium and that is within you, go work at walmart and deal with those idiots they will give you all kinds of ot and yeah maybe you will make it up the ranks and could be a greeter there.
September 14, 2008 9:18 PM
Anonymous said...
@this is all for today
As you should be well aware, there have been no prior labor contracts at TWC maine, therefore nothing has been mandated by contract, rather left to chance, chaos, geographic location, and who knows which dispatcher.
I'm not trying to argue with you. I remember what you are going through. Most of the guys attending the meetings so far have been techs who have been there for a while. But every one of them has been in the same position you are in now. We all started out on that shift.
A few years ago in my area there were three day techs and me on nights. At the time I felt mistreated too - someone else runs behind on their work, and it was me in the subs house at 9:30 picking up the slack. Since then I have rarely gone home without checking with dispatch and ALL the techs in my area to see if they were in good shape. It is rare for me to not have an OT sheet with at least 4 out of 5 days listed.
We have all been there - we understand. The reason most of us are doing this is that we want to make it fairer for all of us. We want to have one set of rules that apply to everyone.
On the budget matter - yes I have worked with budgets, they are black and white documents with a lot of gray added in. Trust me, with contract labor being a fixed, per-hour expense based on a fixed pointing system, and techs being being problem solvers haphazardly jammed into a point system that doesn't fit the work they do, contract labor isn't going anywhere. Nor will it ever be enlisted to do a trouble call.
As for whatever that rant was about GPS and TWC vehicles and gas - I have yet to attend a single meeting with a TWC vehicle parked outside.
All the techs I deal with are willing to accept overtime to a point. They are also more than willing to work 50-70+ hours a week in the event of a disaster like the patriots day storm. Just don't rely on that to support day to day overflow.
September 14, 2008 11:02 PM
Anonymous said...
That is what US techs think - US, by the way, who noticed your argument under the guise of a "GREENHORN" tech start to fall apart around the point of budgets, production reports, and company truck policies, even before you started using the phrase "you techs"
Walmart hires managers too.
Given your experience, they would probably offer you the consumer electronics department.
Or, if you are having a really hard time getting your production report numbers to reflect your quarterly budget, and feel you are being unfairly treated, I'm sure that a union like the Office and Professional Employees International Labor Union would be happy to help you fight for fair treatment
September 14, 2008 11:03 PM
thats all for today said...
Okay so how many techs have really showed up to your meetings? At some point you really need to say enough is enough as this is a lost cause. No one wants to lose their pension plan. Something has to give quit sugar coating and get the facts.And my point about walmart was not to degrade anyone.Think about how good our jobs are, go into walmart and look at that environment.It sounds like you are at hollywood slots in there listen next time you go.How high could you really go at that place i mean really look at some of the managers there?...We got it pretty darn good guys we really do. Okay the teachers union lets talk about that for a minute. Anyone know a teacher? Anyone know what their slary is? What has the union done for them? Still the least paid. The only thing you guys can compare salaries with is a giant phone operator who has been unionized for 50 years and has been the monopoly in the phone business for the last 50 years. Then you got CMP these guys also have had a union forever due to many deaths etc from workplace safety issues back dating 100 years ago. They needed a union. We do not. www.unionfacts.com
September 16, 2008 8:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Asking someone to go to unionfacts.com for unbiased information is the equivalent of saying that a russian peasant in the old Soviet Union should look to TASS to see how good they really have it.
And yes, that is hyperbole, so don't go saying that I'm comparing TWC to a Soviet police state.
unionfacts.com is the propaganda wing of the center for union facts, which is run by Berman and Company, which is run by Richard Berman, who is a paid anti-union lobbyist. Paid by large companies like Time Warner to stop union drives.
Want to know what else they do?
They attack Mothers Against Drunk Driving on behalf of the Alchohol industry.
They rail against the centers for disease control for warning people of salmonella related food poisoning. You see companies can't sell many tacos with some crazy health watchdog group warning people they may get sick.
They represent the tobacco lobby against the CDC as well - all those warnings about smoking, well they kinda take the fun out of lighting up. Cancer is a myth, buy another pack, oh, and here's some kool-aid.
They used information provided by the makers of ALAR, lied and said it came from the EPA, then used that information to argue against the ban of a chemical that poisons kids.
They've also gone up against the Surgeon General, The Center for food safety, the environmental working group, and dozens of other agencies on behalf of major corporations.
So yeah, let's all rush to his website and see what unions are really about.
The real investors behind the company are unknown, but Wal-mart has admitted a relationship with him, and by the number of references on this page to his site, I'm guessing TWC might too.
Look, we have months to get cards signed, and they are coming in, information is spreading, and interest is there. Do not mistake silence for inaction.
Time Warner can't make all the work go away forever. Two TC's today said they were waiting 3 weeks - one for phone issues. Delaying these calls to give us a false sense of lightened workload was a gamble on TWC's part. And soon all those trouble calls will come home to roost. Any argument made to rush this process is likely made by someone aware of the pending storm. They soon will have no option but to go back to business as usual. Those three TC days are already up to 5 and 7 - soon 100 point days will be back again.
As for verizon/fairpoint and CMP, yes they've had unions for a long time, but at some point they cast the first vote to bring them in. As for safety, yes, we haven't had any recent deaths - but I for one don't consider that a selling point. Fact is we have injuries and close calls on a monthly basis.
Pension plan? look around you in the office tomorrow. How many techs have been there over the 5 years required to vest in their pension plan. And realistically, given the current climate in the business world, with company after company dissolving their pension plans, who is naive enough to believe that a pension plan for a recently spun-off company will be there in another 5 years. The second the company stops growing profits, 3 quarters in a row of not even loss,but flat growth, and cuts will be made - try justifying a pension plan to stockholders if the industry hits a little downturn.
Jeff Bewkes was compensated over 8 and a half million dollars for the 2007 fiscal year. Sorry, we're talking TWC. Glenn Britt made over 5.5 mill last year. Will he forgo any of his long term compensation to bail out a pension plan?
Look up anything I have said in here, you'll find it yourself with a few google searches.
Oh, and unlike other posters here I AM an I/R tech - and freely admit I am involved in this with my own best interests at heart. The thing is, though, the cards are circulating to techs. And the best interests of the people holding those cards are more likely to match mine than they are "that's all for today".
September 16, 2008 10:57 PM
thats all for today said...
maybe we dont need a union . maybe we do.
too many techs have posted there job problems on this site to be ignored. the big problem seems to be too much work with not enought time . most people want to take pride in there work. we would like to feel appreciated. if we were no one would be talking about a union helping us.
September 16, 2008 11:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Cards need to make it to the systems north of portland. Augusta needs cards..
September 17, 2008 5:12 PM
Anonymous said...
updated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
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The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
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Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
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KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Wanted: Women in Jackson...
Looking to lose serious weight. Read my shocking story...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
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Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgetsupdated 2 hours, 57 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
President Obama makes his way to new officeCeremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditions First sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
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• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
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Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
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LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
How I cut 2 lbs of fat per week by obeying this 1 old rule.
karlasweightloss.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
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President Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
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Invest in you, get a degree
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelp
President Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelp
President Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
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MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelp
President Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
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Invest in you, get a degree
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
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MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
Resource guide
Get Your 2009 Credit Score
Scottrade: $7 online trades
Our rates vs. the others
Find a business to start
Invest in you, get a degree
Movies delivered - Try free
FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
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Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
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1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
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I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
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Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
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1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
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FeaturingToday Nightly News Dateline Meet the Press MSNBC TV Newsweek CategoriesTop stories Local news U.S. World Politics Business Sports Entertainment Health Tech & science Travel Weather AboutAbout us Contact Site map Jobs Terms & conditions Alerts via IM E-mail updates RSS & feeds
Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
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MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
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KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
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Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
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Mobile headlines Podcasts Widgets© 2009 MicrosoftMSN PrivacyLegalAdvertiseHelpPresident Barack Obama, Army Gen. George Casey and Vice President Joe Biden watch the inaugural parade from the reviewing stand in from of the White House on Tuesday.
View related photos
John G. Mabanglo / EPA
Inauguration 2009
NBC News Explore Obama's speech
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
AP Inauguration Day
Jan. 20: Millions flock to the nation's capital for the historic swearing-in of Barack Obama.
Your map for the Inauguration
A guide to inauguration releated events, celebrations, points of interest and more.
Video: White House
‘Dawn of a new day’: The indelible images of Jan. 20, 2009
Jan. 20: NBC Nightly News recaps the sights and sounds of an historic day.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
World watches as Obama takes office
Looking back through troubled times
A long day in a country that's come a long way
INTERACTIVE
Inauguration cartoons
Msnbc.com's political cartoonists take a look at the inauguration of America's 44th president, Barack Obama.
NBC News
Six Obama cabinet nominees confirmed
Schumer talks about HRC confirmation
Obama's speech: 2 months in the making
More blog posts on the transition
updated 2 minutes ago
Before a jubilant crowd of more than a million, Barack Hussein Obama claimed his place in history as America's first black president, summoning a dispirited nation to unite in hope against the "gathering clouds and raging storms" of war and economic woe.
On an extraordinary day in the life of America, people of all colors and ages waited for hours Tuesday in frigid temperatures to witness a young black man with a foreign-sounding name take command of a nation founded by slaveholders. It was a scene watched in fascination by many millions — perhaps billions — around the world.
"We gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord," the nation's 44th president said.
Story continues below ↓
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
advertisement | your ad here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The presidency passed to Democrat Obama from Republican George W. Bush at the stroke of noon, marking one of democracy's greatest gifts: the peaceful transfer of power.
But a stark transfer all the same. In one of the new administration's first acts, Obama ordered federal agencies to halt all pending regulations until further review — this after Bush's final weeks raised heated debate over rushing new rules into effect on the way out the door.
And even though new White House aides struggled to find offices and work intercoms, an overhauled http://www.whitehouse.gov Web site was running under Obama's banner within minutes of his swearing-in. "Change has come to America," it declared.
Obama plunges into his new job in earnest on Wednesday after capping inaugural festivities at a national prayer service in the morning, meeting with his economic team and Iraq advisers and welcoming a stream of public visitors into the White House while Congress gives his economic revival plan a going-over and takes up the nomination of Hillary Rodham Clinton to be secretary of state. Her confirmation has been held up for now by Republican concern over the foundation fundraising of her husband, the former president.
The new president had been buoyant and relaxed through the three days of pre-inaugural festivities. But he seemed somber as he stood on the Capitol steps, placed his left hand on the Bible used by Abraham Lincoln and repeated the inaugural oath "to preserve, protect and defend" a Constitution that originally defined blacks as three-fifths of a person. A deafening cheer went up.
"What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility — a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly," Obama said. "This is the price and the promise of citizenship."
Video
Obamas walk part of parade route
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama leave limousine to walk along Pennsylvania Ave., waving to bystanders.
NBC News
It was a day of high spirits — jarred by sudden concern about the health of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy. The legendary Democrat, suffering from brain cancer, and was rushed from a Capitol luncheon in Obama's honor to a hospital. "My prayers are with him and his family," Obama said. Later, fellow Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts said Kennedy was laughing and joking at the hospital and itching to get back to work.
On the inaugural parade route, Obama and his wife, Michelle, climbed out of the heavily armored presidential limousine and walked a few blocks along famed Pennsylvania Avenue, waving to adoring crowds under the watchful eyes of security agents.
Obama wove a thread of personal responsibility and accountability through his inaugural address, an 18-minute sermon on civic duty. A liberal Democrat proposing billions of dollars in new spending, Obama nonetheless spoke of the limits of government.
Click for related content
Vote: What should Obama do in his first 100 days?
Newsvine: Rate the new president's speech
Worldwide, well-wishers celebrate inauguration
"It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours," he said. "It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate."
Video
Obama's oath and inaugural address
Jan. 20: President Barack Obama takes the oath of office and delivers his inaugural address from the steps of the Capitol.
NBC News
Obama's 10-year-old daughter, Malia, aimed a camera at her father as he spoke. Michelle leaned onto the edge of her seat, body tensed and brow knitted.
"Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off and begin again the work of remaking America," Obama said.
He placed blame for the recent economic collapse not just on greed and irresponsibility "on the part of some" but also on the inability or unwillingness of everyone to move the country beyond an industrial-based economy — what he called "our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age." With that, the 47-year-old former Illinois senator transformed himself — from a candidate claiming his campaign is about the voters to a president promising to put the nation in the people's hands.
CONTINUED : Dealing with a largely set agenda
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 | 2 | 3 | Next >
Discuss Story
On NewsvineRate Story:
View popularLowHigh
3 after 1201 ratingsEmailInstant MessagePrint
MORE FROM INAUGURATION
Ceremony is more celebration than solemnity
Obama urges unity against 'raging storms'Ceremony is more celebration than solemnityKennedy has seizure at Obama luncheonChief justice and Obama seal the dealCosmic Log: Power transfer on the WebText of Obama's inaugural speechNewsweek: Speech less memorable than occasionStars come out for Obama's inaugural ballsNew president cites old virtues, deep traditionsFirst sisters likely to enthrall U.S. publicInauguration Section Front
Add Inauguration headlines to your news reader:
• More RSS feeds from MSNBC.com
Top msnbc.com stories
Obama makes way to new office
Sen. Kennedy stricken at luncheon
All regulations halted pending review
Iraq on Obama's day-one agenda
Bank worries hammer stock market
NBC News highlights
Harlem celebrates 'remaking America'
Powell: ‘More to do,’ MLK would say
Slideshow: Scenes from Inauguration Day
FirstPerson: Your inauguration photos
Historian on slavery, White House history
SPONSORED LINKS Get listed here
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
Sponsored links
Oprah's Flat Stomach Rule: Obey...
Oprah Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat per Week by Obeying this 1 Rule...
KelseysWeightLoss.com
1 Rule of a Flat Stomach
Cut down 25 lbs of stomach fat in - 1 month by obeying this 1 rule
KimsDietPlan.com
Lose Stomach Fat with 1 Simple Rule
Eliminate 2 Lbs of Stomach Flab a Week, Follow Oprah's Secret.
LorriesWeightLoss.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I Cut Down 2 lbs of Stomach Fat Per Week by Obeying this 1 Old Rule
AubreysDietBlog.com
1 Flat Stomach Rule: Obey
I cut out 2 lbs of body fat per week by following this 1 old rule!
alisonsweightloss.com/Success
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MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
RelateMIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush d Searches:first lady laura
MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush MIDLAND, Texas – Waving cardboard red, white and blue "W"s, thousands welcomed George W. Bush and his wife on Tuesday to their post-presidential home in Texas. "The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said to cheers from the crowd of about 25,000 as former first lady Laura Bush stood at his side. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — it is good to be home."
In the hours leading up to his return, excerpts of some of Bush's speeches played on a large TV screen, including remarks he made to Congress shortly after the terrorist attacks in 2001.
One little boy waved a sign that read, "President Bush, thank you for keeping me safe" in multicolored lettering.
"It's a special day, but it's a sad day," said Dudley Winn, a cotton farmer who drove two hours from Lubbock to greet Bush on his first stop after leaving office. "He did the job we asked him to do. He kept our values safe."
As the crowd looked on, the jet carrying the Bushes flew over downtown, then landed at the airport in Midland shortly before 5 p.m.
Jan Rhodes, a school teacher in Midland, was on hand when Bush left Midland eight years ago for his inauguration as president. She was back Tuesday.
"We watched for eight years and we're proud of how he served us and how he represented Midland," she said.
While Bush was born in New Haven, Conn., he spent his childhood in Midland. He returned there as an adult in the 1970s and met the future first lady, who grew up there.
After the Midland rally, the Bushes were to fly to Waco and then continue on to their 1,600-acre ranch in nearby Crawford.
Related Searches:first lady laura bush
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
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Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
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INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
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Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
Email IM Share
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
Related Searches:white house press secretary dana perino katie mccormick lelyveld national security adviser presidential power george h.w. bush Recommend 57 users recommend Buzz Up Send Email IM Share Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Related
Live Video Watch inauguration in high-quality (Beta) ABC News Now More...
Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Video: Video Essay: Obama Inspires Students AP Video: MN Republicans: Historic Day To Honor Obama WCCO Minneapolis
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Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'Sen. Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama's luncheonGone to Texas: Bush returns to state he lovesHamas declares victory in rallies across GazaRussian gas reaches Europe again via UkraineBoats with sonar search Hudson for missing engineFiat and Chrysler strike alliance amid crisis More Top Stories »
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Photos: First lady style
Taft to Kennedy to Bush: A look at first ladies' ball gowns.Photos: 'The Beast'
New presidential limousine unveiled during the inauguration.Politics Video
Play Video Obama appeals for 'hope over fear' AP Play Video 'A Dark Moment' FOX News Play Video What's in a Name? FOX News Play Video 'Just Right' FOX News More Politics Video »
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
Email IM Share
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
Related Searches:white house press secretary dana perino katie mccormick lelyveld national security adviser presidential power george h.w. bush Recommend 57 users recommend Buzz Up Send Email IM Share Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Related
Live Video Watch inauguration in high-quality (Beta) ABC News Now More...
Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Video: Video Essay: Obama Inspires Students AP Video: MN Republicans: Historic Day To Honor Obama WCCO Minneapolis
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A sand sculpture of Barack Obama is seen at the Golden Sea beach in Puri, India, on Jan. 20. AP/Biswaranjan Rout
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Yahoo! News Search All News
Search Type All News Yahoo! News Only News Photos Video/Audio News Search Advanced Top Stories
Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'Sen. Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama's luncheonGone to Texas: Bush returns to state he lovesHamas declares victory in rallies across GazaRussian gas reaches Europe again via UkraineBoats with sonar search Hudson for missing engineFiat and Chrysler strike alliance amid crisis More Top Stories »
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Obama Inaugural Poster
Get Your Obama Inaugural Posters $39.99 & Bonus Poster Free Shipping.
www-presidentobama.info
How Rachel Ray Lost 30Lbs
Follow Rachel's 2 Easy Diet Rules. Read My Success Story.
www.SamsDietSuccess.com
Obama Inaugural Coin
Own the Obama Inaugural Coin With Free Bonus.
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Featured
Photos: First lady style
Taft to Kennedy to Bush: A look at first ladies' ball gowns.Photos: 'The Beast'
New presidential limousine unveiled during the inauguration.Politics Video
Play Video Obama appeals for 'hope over fear' AP Play Video 'A Dark Moment' FOX News Play Video What's in a Name? FOX News Play Video 'Just Right' FOX News More Politics Video »
Education
Recession Proof Jobs Even in this economy there are industries still hiring. See Top Growing Careers in 2009.
Flexible Jobs Paying $70KMake great money on your schedule and find the right balance in your career.Yahoo!Real EstateSearch homes for sale and rent:
Location (City & State or Zip):
Listing Type
Homes for Sale Foreclosures Apartments for Rent New Homes Price:
to Bedrooms:
Any Studio+ 1+ 2+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Bathrooms:
Any 1+ 1.5+ 2+ 2.5+ 3+ 3.5+ 4+ Search Homes
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Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
Email IM Share
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
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Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
Related Searches:white house press secretary dana perino katie mccormick lelyveld national security adviser presidential power george h.w. bush Recommend 57 users recommend Buzz Up Send Email IM Share Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Related
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Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Video: Video Essay: Obama Inspires Students AP Video: MN Republicans: Historic Day To Honor Obama WCCO Minneapolis
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Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'Sen. Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama's luncheonGone to Texas: Bush returns to state he lovesHamas declares victory in rallies across GazaRussian gas reaches Europe again via UkraineBoats with sonar search Hudson for missing engineFiat and Chrysler strike alliance amid crisis More Top Stories »
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Featured
Photos: First lady style
Taft to Kennedy to Bush: A look at first ladies' ball gowns.Photos: 'The Beast'
New presidential limousine unveiled during the inauguration.Politics Video
Play Video Obama appeals for 'hope over fear' AP Play Video 'A Dark Moment' FOX News Play Video What's in a Name? FOX News Play Video 'Just Right' FOX News More Politics Video »
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
Email IM Share
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
Related Searches:white house press secretary dana perino katie mccormick lelyveld national security adviser presidential power george h.w. bush Recommend 57 users recommend Buzz Up Send Email IM Share Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print Related
Live Video Watch inauguration in high-quality (Beta) ABC News Now More...
Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Video: Video Essay: Obama Inspires Students AP Video: MN Republicans: Historic Day To Honor Obama WCCO Minneapolis
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A sand sculpture of Barack Obama is seen at the Golden Sea beach in Puri, India, on Jan. 20. AP/Biswaranjan Rout
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Obama takes power, urges unity vs. 'raging storms'Sen. Kennedy OK after seizure at Obama's luncheonGone to Texas: Bush returns to state he lovesHamas declares victory in rallies across GazaRussian gas reaches Europe again via UkraineBoats with sonar search Hudson for missing engineFiat and Chrysler strike alliance amid crisis More Top Stories »
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Obama Inaugural Poster
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How Rachel Ray Lost 30Lbs
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Featured
Photos: First lady style
Taft to Kennedy to Bush: A look at first ladies' ball gowns.Photos: 'The Beast'
New presidential limousine unveiled during the inauguration.Politics Video
Play Video Obama appeals for 'hope over fear' AP Play Video 'A Dark Moment' FOX News Play Video What's in a Name? FOX News Play Video 'Just Right' FOX News More Politics Video »
Education
Recession Proof Jobs Even in this economy there are industries still hiring. See Top Growing Careers in 2009.
Flexible Jobs Paying $70KMake great money on your schedule and find the right balance in your career.Yahoo!Real EstateSearch homes for sale and rent:
Location (City & State or Zip):
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Homes for Sale Foreclosures Apartments for Rent New Homes Price:
to Bedrooms:
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Home U.S. Business World Entertainment Sports Tech Politics Science Health Travel Most Popular Politics Video Blog White House Congress U.S. Government World Supreme Court Press Releases LIVE NOW: Coverage of the inaugural ballsSCHEDULE
INAUGURATION SCHEDULE (All times are EST)See Full Schedule »1:00pm Bush departs Capitol
Obama attends Capitol luncheon
2:30pm 56th Inaugural Parade begins
7:00pm Neighborhood Inaugural Ball begins
INAUGURAL ADDRESS
More coverage at ABC News PHOTO SLIDESHOWS
Inauguration of 44th president History and pageantry More...
Obama urges unity Analysis: Challenges ahead His journey, and ours Newsroom blog
Belle of the (10) balls
Gone to Texas: Bush returns to state he loves
Buzz Up Send
Email IM Share
Digg Facebook Newsvine del.icio.us Reddit StumbleUpon Technorati Yahoo! Bookmarks Print By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer Deb Riechmann, Associated Press Writer – 59 mins ago
Featured Topics: Barack Obama Presidential Transition Play Video Reuters – Bush Departs
Slideshow: President Bush Play Video Video: Raw Video: Bush leaves Washington AP Play Video Video: Sentimental Journey FOX News AP – Former President George W. Bush greets the crowd after a 'Welcome Home' rally, Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2009, … WASHINGTON – Leaving the White House for the last time on Tuesday, President George W. Bush blew a kiss out the window of his presidential limousine, a gesture that capped an eight-year administration marked by two wars, recession and the biggest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Bush's exit was bittersweet. He left office with low approval ratings, but he remained upbeat, smiling and joining in the celebration of President Barack Obama's ascent to rock-star status, even as he faces daunting challenges, especially a depressed economy.
This Inauguration Day was about more than the traditional transfer of presidential power. When Bush clasped Obama's hand before beginning his journey home to Texas, their handshake marked the first time that the executive branch of government has been handed off to a black president.
If there were any hard feelings between the incoming 47-year-old Democrat and the outgoing 62-year-old Republican, they weren't apparent in the Bush send-off at the steps of a helicopter on the Capitol grounds where the two men parted ways.
After the inauguration ceremony, many in the crowd at the Capitol cheered loudly and waved goodbye at Bush's helicopter as it flew over throngs of people gathered on the Mall to witness history.
But not everyone was respectful. Weary of Bush, some people in the crowd chanted "Na-na-na-nah, hey, hey, hey, goodbye" when they heard a television broadcaster announce, "George Bush is no longer president of the United States."
Bush actually began the first few minutes as an ex-president listening to a musical prelude at the swearing-in ceremony. Obama had not yet taken the oath of office, but while the musicians played, he became president at noon EST, according to the Constitution.
Keeping with a White House ritual, Bush left a note for Obama in his desk in the Oval Office, wishing him well.
"I won't provide any details, but the theme is similar to what he's said since election night about the fabulous new chapter President-elect Obama is about to start, and that he wishes him the very best," outgoing White House press secretary Dana Perino said about the note.
She said the two-term Republican incumbent wrote the message to his Democratic successor on Monday and left it in the top drawer of his desk, which was crafted from timbers from the H.M.S. Resolute and given to the U.S. by Great Britain in 1879.
In the morning, before having coffee at the White House, soon-to-be first lady Michelle Obama handed Laura Bush a present. Inside, was a leather-bound journal inscribed with a quote from western fiction writer Louis L'Amour: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. Yet that will be the beginning." Also in the gift box was a pen engraved with Tuesday's date, for Mrs. Bush to begin her memoirs, according to Mrs. Obama's spokeswoman Katie McCormick Lelyveld.
Bush began his last day in the Oval Office before 7 a.m. EST. He spoke on the phone with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley, former White House chief of staff Andy Card and T.D. Jakes, the pastor of a megachurch in Dallas who preached at a private church service that Obama attended before the inauguration. Bush took one last stroll around the south grounds of the White House.
The changing of the guard was evident. In the morning, Perino passed out boxes of Bush M&Ms in the West Wing. In the afternoon, members of Obama's team were familiarizing themselves with their new quarters. "Now we just have to figure out how to log onto our computers," incoming White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters.
Citizen Bush lingered only two hours in Washington. From the Capitol, Bush and his family flew to Andrews Air Force Base where he made private remarks to supporters inside a hangar. The Bush family, including former President George H.W. Bush and former first lady Barbara Bush, then took a flight to Midland, Texas, riding one last time on the familiar blue-and-white presidential aircraft. It was called Special Air Mission 28000 instead of Air Force One since Bush no longer was president.
A crowd of nearly 20,000 people welcomed the Bushes at Centennial Plaza in Bush's childhood home of Midland — the same place he stopped on his way to the nation's capital for his own inauguration in 2001. The president's plane flew low over the plaza, prompting the crowd to wave red-white-and-blue W's.
"The presidency was a joyous experience, but as great as it was, nothing compares with Texas at sunset," Bush said, standing next to his wife. "Tonight I have the privilege of saying six words that I have been waiting to say for a while — It is good to be home."
Bush, who expects to wake up Wednesday at his 1,600-acre ranch in Crawford, Texas, said he went to Washington with a clear set of principles, and left with them intact.
"I never took an opinion poll to tell me what to think, and I'm coming home with my head held high and a sense of accomplishment," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Betsy Blaney in Midland, Texas, and Liz Sidoti, Philip Elliott, Pam Hess, Matt Barakat, Jennifer Kerr and Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.
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Copyright © 2009 Yahoo! Inc. All rights reserved.Questions or CommentsPrivacy PolicyTerms of ServiceCopyright/IP PolicyOh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA Oh for job flexibility! Most American workers struggle to wrap their days around a routine work schedule. Juggling kids, caring for aging parents, making visits to the dentist, enjoying a week of sanity at a beach resort, and rounding up the troops for a holiday meal present a real challenge. Finding balance in life can be difficult, and often the most important things--family time, healthy eating and exercise, and spiritual refreshment--fall away to overtime, half-hour power lunches, and moonlighting. More than seven million Americans have had to take more than one job to make ends meet.
With the economy on the rocks, flexibility seems more a luxury than a necessity. You may have to return to college to prepare for one of the more flexible careers, and you still may work long hours. But you'll have a greater say in when and where you work them.
Here are six careers that offer flexibility and self-employment options or pay near the $70k range or better--along with the training you'll need.
Post Secondary Teachers
Did you know that many college teachers and university professors are retiring? You'll work on a school calendar, with summer, spring, and winter holiday vacation time if you want it. Some professors only report to campus two days a week. They make up for it by the work they do at home, but not reporting to campus every day can lead to flexibility.
You'll need a master's degree to teach at the community college level and a doctorate in your field to qualify for tenure-track professorships at four-year colleges. Positions for post-secondary teachers are predicted to rise by an exceptional 12 percent through the 2006-2016 decade. 2007 salary averages were $98,974 for professors, $69,911 for associate professors, and $58,662 for assistant professors.
Travel Nurses
Nurses can work long hours. But travel nurses work long hours with scheduled time off between assignments if they want. You can arrange for short-time postings to great locales, or long-term ones once you find a niche.
You'll need an online two-year RN or bachelor's degree in nursing to qualify. Jobs for registered nurses are expected to continue to boom, rising by 23 percent through 2016. The top 50 percent of working registered nurses earned between $73,170 and $87,310 in 2007. And travel nurses can receive pay for relocation and housing.
Software Designers
High tech and flex time. Software designers--including game design experts--often hire out on a per-contract basis, working intensive schedules to launch a new product and then enjoying time off between engagements. Some only work on an on-call basis. And job growth will be stupendous, rising by 38 percent during the 2006-2016 decade.
You'll need at least a bachelor's degree in software design or applications, and a master's degree if you hope to run a consultancy. The median 2007 annual wage was $83,130.
Management Analysts
Management analysts work hard, but work smart and enjoy great flexibility. More than 27 percent are self-employed, which is more than three times the national average for all self-employed professionals. You'll offer yourself as a consultant in sales, marketing, technology, health care, and finance to top companies home and abroad.
Many management analysts find work with consulting companies with only a bachelor's degree in business or finance, while the more successful ones who work online from a home office hold at least an MBA degree. Job growth is predicted at a healthy 22 percent, and the median 2007 annual wage was $71,150.
Interior Designers
Interior designers also lead the way in the number of self-employed, flexible career professionals with 26 percent running their own companies/consultancies. Train for the field through an associate degree program, but add a bachelor's degree in art or design to advance to the more flexible positions. Study fabrics, CAD design, ergonomics, color theory, and more. The top 50 percent in the field earned on average between $60,200 and $81,800 in 2007.
Real Estate Sales Agents
Home sales are temporarily slumping, but look at the number of new commercial buildings rising on the landscape. Most brokers have college training in real estate, business, law, marketing, or finance. You may need to work 1-3 years to get your broker's license, but you rent or borrow office space, and work your own hours. In 2007, the top 50 percent of real estate agents earned between earn between $65,040 and $106,790.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright Notice
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
View All Schools | View Top Careers | View Programs by State
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Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technicians Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2007 QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights reserved. Privacy Policy
It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
View All Schools | View Top Careers | View Programs by State
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technicians Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2007 QuinStreet, Inc. All Rights reserved. Privacy Policy
It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
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Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright NoticeIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
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Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright NoticeIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright NoticeIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright NoticeIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright NoticeIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
Campus
Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technicians Technology
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*QuinStreet, Inc. collects the information you provide within this portion of the property. Please read the QuinStreet Privacy Policy for more information.
Yahoo! does not collect or use the information you may provide here.
Copyright © 2007 Yahoo! Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy - Copyright Notice
Copyright © 2007 QuinStreet, Inc. AllIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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Rights reserved. Privacy PolicyIt's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Refine Your SearchYour Zip Code:
Online
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Both Subject: - Select All Subjects - Business Culinary Arts & Hospitality Digital Arts & Graphic Design Education Fashion Design & Interior Design Health & Medicine Law & Justice Psychology Technology Technicians Degree: - Select All Courses & Degrees - Associate's Bachelor's Master's Doctoral Certificates Diplomas Coursework MBA
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--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This article is sponsored by Keller Graduate School of Management
A degree from Keller gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are the just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change.
Request more info now.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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130.49.0.0/16 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - This range is administered by the University of Pittsburgh and includes many public terminals. Others are static IPs associated with singular rooms in dormitories. Range or hard block would cause collateral damage.
195.188.50.200 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - Sefton Libraries public terminals. IP address from Virgin Media. These have set expiry times for usage, and can be found in Aintree, Southport, Formby, Crosby, Bootle and Litherland. This has been verified, please see here for details.
195.188.152.16 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - shared Virgin Media IP, used by User:Willy on Wheels. Currently blocked indefinitely as {{checkuserblock}} by Mackensen (talk • contribs • blocks • protects • deletions • moves • rights)
84.45.219.185 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - claims made by a user that this is an Internet cafe. Has been used by a British MascotGuy (i.e. user with autism).
82.42.0.0/16 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - some IPs within this Virgin Media range are used by public computers. Be careful if performing a range block as this will cause autoblocks to many customers of Virgin Media.
78.32.147.27 (talk • contribs • info • WHOIS) - not a public terminal, but a wireless network IP used for corporate web access in Skelmersdale, Lancashire. Various LANs use this IP.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:List_of_public_terminal_or_wireless_access_point_IP_addresses"
Mario Super Slaggers ("Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball" in Japan) is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title, Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. Mario Super Sluggers was released in Japan on June 19, 2008 and in North America on August 25, 2008.
Contents [hide]
1 Game modes
1.1 Exhibition Mode
1.2 Stadiums
1.3 Challenge Mode
1.4 Minigames
1.5 Sex Toy Field
1.6 Practice
1.7 Records
2 Gameplay
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 Promotion
6 References
7 External links
Game modes
Mario Super Sluggers features game modes that are similar to those of Mario Superstar Baseball.
Exhibition Mode
A simple baseball game where players choose their captain and players. Players will choose how many innings to play. Batting order is determined by a coin toss. Players can also choose to play a stadium at morning or night.
Stadiums
Mario Studium
Luigi's Mansion +(at night only)
Peach Bush Garden
Daisy Cruiser +
Yoshi Park
Wario City
DK Jungle
Bowser Jr. Playroom/Bowser Castle +
Stadiums with + are unlockable
Challenge Mode
The Player starts as Mario and must recruit all the characters. This is also where to unlock all characters and stadiums.
The Player can choose between five different captains, Mario and the unlockable captains Yoshi (Yoshi Park) , Donkey Kong (DK Jungle), Wario (Wario City), and Peach (Peach Ice Garden). He can switch captains at any time during gameplay. Then he goes to each stadium and unlocks players until he has a good enough team to challenge Bowser Jr. After defeating Bowser Jr., his stadium, Bowser Jr.'s Playroom, is replaced with Bowser's Castle. Then the player must either challenge Bowser or keep unlocking characters to make an even better team.
At each stadium there is a shop where the player can buy various error items, special bats, special gloves, pitching control power-ups, and other items with coins that you find in random places. One of these other items is Luigi's Flashlight, which then unlocks the stadium Luigi's Mansion(which can only be used at night). Another is the Daisy Cruiser pass, which unlocks Daisy's Cruiser.
Minigames
Some minigames can only be played in day or night time. There are 9 minigames in total. However, several of the minigames are unlockable. Some minigames only play with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk and the Wii Remote sideways.
Sex Toy Field
Players try to hit baseballs to point spaces all around the field. The other players try to catch the ball. If a player catches a ball, it is his turn to bat. At the end of the game, king medals are awarded such as first-catch king, last catch king... The computer adds up the score and the player with the most points will win. Toy field can be played with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk or the Wii Remote sideways.
Practice
Players learn to bat, pitch, fielding, special moves and base running.
Records
Shows MVPs of exhibition games, star players in challenge mode and high scores of the minigames. When the game is completed, the records will show the ending movie.MVP's stand for Most Valuable Player.
Gameplay
A pre-release screenshot of Yoshi up at bat against Bowser Jr.The gameplay of Mario Super Sluggers is similar to that of its predecessor; the main difference being the controls, with the Wii Remote adding immersion using a control scheme similar to the Baseball sub-game in Wii Sports.[4] There are three control methods available: Wii Remote by itself, Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and the Wii Remote held sideways.
Characters
Main article: Sports games in the Mario series#Mario Baseball
There are 41 playable characters in Mario Super Sluggers plus the player can play as their created Miis.
Reception
[hide] Reviews
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly B
Game Informer 5.5/10
GameSpot 6.5/10
GameTrailers 6.7/10 [5]
IGN 7.4/10
Compared to other Mario sports titles, Mario Super Sluggers was not particularly well-received. The lack of online play was a generally major factor in the reviews of Mario Super Sluggers. IGN gave Mario Super Sluggers 7.4/10, explaining that the game is fun but just the same game it played three years earlier. Gamespot gave the game 6.5/10, saying that it was for Mario collectors and "Wii Party hosts "only.[6]Gametrailers gave the game 6.7/10 and explained that a game that was published by Nintendo should have Wii Sports motions, but does not. It also noted some balance issues, the lack of improvement in presentation from the original Mario Superstar Baseball, issues with pitching, and the fact that it is a baseball game with little baseball.
Promotion
On August 24, 2008, Charles Martinet, who does the voice of Mario and other major characters, made a special appearance at the Nintendo World Store in New York City to promote the release of Mario Super Sluggers a day earlier than the official August 25 release date. People who purchased the game received a free baseball with the game's logo on it and were granted permission to see and talk to Martinet.
As part of the North American marketing launch, Nintendo created a series of collectible online cards along with mariosupersluggerscards.com, a website that served as a virtual collector’s album. The site promises that the series will include a card for each of the forty-one characters featured in Mario Super Sluggers.
The cards began appearing in banner ads on popular children websites on August 18, 2008, but have since begun to appear as embedded hyperlinks in other, less obvious locations. Mario Super Sluggers Cards have been found on other sites, such as youtube.
When the Seattle Mariners played versus the New York Yankees on September 5th, 2008, the game was promoted there at Safeco Field. The first 20,000 fans received special Mario Super Sluggers foam mitts. There were also two booths with the game demo, and Mario Super Sluggers Cards were also passed out there. Every inning, someone was randomly chosen to win a Wii system along with the game. Whenever a home run or a good play happened, the Safeco Field video screen showed a gameplay clip with Mario, Luigi, or Bowser. A Mario mascot also appeared before the game with the Mariners' mascot, the Moose, but left after the first inning.
References
^ GoNintendo » Blog Archive » Famitsu - two more Japanese Wii release dates- What are you waiting for?
^ Nintendo dates DS, Wii games - Wii News at GameSpot
^ Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) - Game Details - Australia's PAL Gaming Network
^ Nintendo Hits a Home Run with Mario Super Sluggers
^ Greg Ford (October 2008). "Power Surge". Electronic Gaming Monthly (233): 80. ISSN 1058-918X.
^ "Mario Super Sluggers Wii at Gamespot.com". gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-27.
External links
Offical Mario Super Sluggers Site
Mario Super Sluggers Site Card Collection Game
[show]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Super_Sluggers"
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This version of the page has been revised.
Besides normal editing, the reason for revision may have been that this version contains
factual inaccuracies, vandalism, or material not compatible with the GNU Free Documentation License.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mario Super Slaggers ("Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball" in Japan) is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title, Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. Mario Super Sluggers was released in Japan on June 19, 2008 and in North America on August 25, 2008.
Contents [hide]
1 Game modes
1.1 Exhibition Mode
1.2 Stadiums
1.3 Challenge Mode
1.4 Minigames
1.5 Sex Toy Field
1.6 Practice
1.7 Records
2 Gameplay
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 Promotion
6 References
7 External links
Game modes
Mario Super Sluggers features game modes that are similar to those of Mario Superstar Baseball.
Exhibition Mode
A simple baseball game where players choose their captain and players. Players will choose how many innings to play. Batting order is determined by a coin toss. Players can also choose to play a stadium at morning or night.
Stadiums
Mario Studium
Luigi's Mansion +(at night only)
Peach Bush Garden
Daisy Cruiser +
Yoshi Park
Wario City
DK Jungle
Bowser Jr. Playroom/Bowser Castle +
Stadiums with + are unlockable
Challenge Mode
The Player starts as Mario and must recruit all the characters. This is also where to unlock all characters and stadiums.
The Player can choose between five different captains, Mario and the unlockable captains Yoshi (Yoshi Park) , Donkey Kong (DK Jungle), Wario (Wario City), and Peach (Peach Ice Garden). He can switch captains at any time during gameplay. Then he goes to each stadium and unlocks players until he has a good enough team to challenge Bowser Jr. After defeating Bowser Jr., his stadium, Bowser Jr.'s Playroom, is replaced with Bowser's Castle. Then the player must either challenge Bowser or keep unlocking characters to make an even better team.
At each stadium there is a shop where the player can buy various error items, special bats, special gloves, pitching control power-ups, and other items with coins that you find in random places. One of these other items is Luigi's Flashlight, which then unlocks the stadium Luigi's Mansion(which can only be used at night). Another is the Daisy Cruiser pass, which unlocks Daisy's Cruiser.
Minigames
Some minigames can only be played in day or night time. There are 9 minigames in total. However, several of the minigames are unlockable. Some minigames only play with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk and the Wii Remote sideways.
Sex Toy Field
Players try to hit baseballs to point spaces all around the field. The other players try to catch the ball. If a player catches a ball, it is his turn to bat. At the end of the game, king medals are awarded such as first-catch king, last catch king... The computer adds up the score and the player with the most points will win. Toy field can be played with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk or the Wii Remote sideways.
Practice
Players learn to bat, pitch, fielding, special moves and base running.
Records
Shows MVPs of exhibition games, star players in challenge mode and high scores of the minigames. When the game is completed, the records will show the ending movie.MVP's stand for Most Valuable Player.
Gameplay
A pre-release screenshot of Yoshi up at bat against Bowser Jr.The gameplay of Mario Super Sluggers is similar to that of its predecessor; the main difference being the controls, with the Wii Remote adding immersion using a control scheme similar to the Baseball sub-game in Wii Sports.[4] There are three control methods available: Wii Remote by itself, Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and the Wii Remote held sideways.
Characters
Main article: Sports games in the Mario series#Mario Baseball
There are 41 playable characters in Mario Super Sluggers plus the player can play as their created Miis.
Reception
[hide] Reviews
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly B
Game Informer 5.5/10
GameSpot 6.5/10
GameTrailers 6.7/10 [5]
IGN 7.4/10
Compared to other Mario sports titles, Mario Super Sluggers was not particularly well-received. The lack of online play was a generally major factor in the reviews of Mario Super Sluggers. IGN gave Mario Super Sluggers 7.4/10, explaining that the game is fun but just the same game it played three years earlier. Gamespot gave the game 6.5/10, saying that it was for Mario collectors and "Wii Party hosts "only.[6]Gametrailers gave the game 6.7/10 and explained that a game that was published by Nintendo should have Wii Sports motions, but does not. It also noted some balance issues, the lack of improvement in presentation from the original Mario Superstar Baseball, issues with pitching, and the fact that it is a baseball game with little baseball.
Promotion
On August 24, 2008, Charles Martinet, who does the voice of Mario and other major characters, made a special appearance at the Nintendo World Store in New York City to promote the release of Mario Super Sluggers a day earlier than the official August 25 release date. People who purchased the game received a free baseball with the game's logo on it and were granted permission to see and talk to Martinet.
As part of the North American marketing launch, Nintendo created a series of collectible online cards along with mariosupersluggerscards.com, a website that served as a virtual collector’s album. The site promises that the series will include a card for each of the forty-one characters featured in Mario Super Sluggers.
The cards began appearing in banner ads on popular children websites on August 18, 2008, but have since begun to appear as embedded hyperlinks in other, less obvious locations. Mario Super Sluggers Cards have been found on other sites, such as youtube.
When the Seattle Mariners played versus the New York Yankees on September 5th, 2008, the game was promoted there at Safeco Field. The first 20,000 fans received special Mario Super Sluggers foam mitts. There were also two booths with the game demo, and Mario Super Sluggers Cards were also passed out there. Every inning, someone was randomly chosen to win a Wii system along with the game. Whenever a home run or a good play happened, the Safeco Field video screen showed a gameplay clip with Mario, Luigi, or Bowser. A Mario mascot also appeared before the game with the Mariners' mascot, the Moose, but left after the first inning.
References
^ GoNintendo » Blog Archive » Famitsu - two more Japanese Wii release dates- What are you waiting for?
^ Nintendo dates DS, Wii games - Wii News at GameSpot
^ Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) - Game Details - Australia's PAL Gaming Network
^ Nintendo Hits a Home Run with Mario Super Sluggers
^ Greg Ford (October 2008). "Power Surge". Electronic Gaming Monthly (233): 80. ISSN 1058-918X.
^ "Mario Super Sluggers Wii at Gamespot.com". gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-27.
External links
Offical Mario Super Sluggers Site
Mario Super Sluggers Site Card Collection Game
[show]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Super_Sluggers"
Categories: 2008 video games | Baseball video games | Wii games | Wii-only games | Mario sports games | Namco Bandai gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
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This version of the page has been revised.
Besides normal editing, the reason for revision may have been that this version contains
factual inaccuracies, vandalism, or material not compatible with the GNU Free Documentation License.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mario Super Slaggers ("Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball" in Japan) is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title, Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. Mario Super Sluggers was released in Japan on June 19, 2008 and in North America on August 25, 2008.
Contents [hide]
1 Game modes
1.1 Exhibition Mode
1.2 Stadiums
1.3 Challenge Mode
1.4 Minigames
1.5 Sex Toy Field
1.6 Practice
1.7 Records
2 Gameplay
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 Promotion
6 References
7 External links
Game modes
Mario Super Sluggers features game modes that are similar to those of Mario Superstar Baseball.
Exhibition Mode
A simple baseball game where players choose their captain and players. Players will choose how many innings to play. Batting order is determined by a coin toss. Players can also choose to play a stadium at morning or night.
Stadiums
Mario Studium
Luigi's Mansion +(at night only)
Peach Bush Garden
Daisy Cruiser +
Yoshi Park
Wario City
DK Jungle
Bowser Jr. Playroom/Bowser Castle +
Stadiums with + are unlockable
Challenge Mode
The Player starts as Mario and must recruit all the characters. This is also where to unlock all characters and stadiums.
The Player can choose between five different captains, Mario and the unlockable captains Yoshi (Yoshi Park) , Donkey Kong (DK Jungle), Wario (Wario City), and Peach (Peach Ice Garden). He can switch captains at any time during gameplay. Then he goes to each stadium and unlocks players until he has a good enough team to challenge Bowser Jr. After defeating Bowser Jr., his stadium, Bowser Jr.'s Playroom, is replaced with Bowser's Castle. Then the player must either challenge Bowser or keep unlocking characters to make an even better team.
At each stadium there is a shop where the player can buy various error items, special bats, special gloves, pitching control power-ups, and other items with coins that you find in random places. One of these other items is Luigi's Flashlight, which then unlocks the stadium Luigi's Mansion(which can only be used at night). Another is the Daisy Cruiser pass, which unlocks Daisy's Cruiser.
Minigames
Some minigames can only be played in day or night time. There are 9 minigames in total. However, several of the minigames are unlockable. Some minigames only play with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk and the Wii Remote sideways.
Sex Toy Field
Players try to hit baseballs to point spaces all around the field. The other players try to catch the ball. If a player catches a ball, it is his turn to bat. At the end of the game, king medals are awarded such as first-catch king, last catch king... The computer adds up the score and the player with the most points will win. Toy field can be played with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk or the Wii Remote sideways.
Practice
Players learn to bat, pitch, fielding, special moves and base running.
Records
Shows MVPs of exhibition games, star players in challenge mode and high scores of the minigames. When the game is completed, the records will show the ending movie.MVP's stand for Most Valuable Player.
Gameplay
A pre-release screenshot of Yoshi up at bat against Bowser Jr.The gameplay of Mario Super Sluggers is similar to that of its predecessor; the main difference being the controls, with the Wii Remote adding immersion using a control scheme similar to the Baseball sub-game in Wii Sports.[4] There are three control methods available: Wii Remote by itself, Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and the Wii Remote held sideways.
Characters
Main article: Sports games in the Mario series#Mario Baseball
There are 41 playable characters in Mario Super Sluggers plus the player can play as their created Miis.
Reception
[hide] Reviews
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly B
Game Informer 5.5/10
GameSpot 6.5/10
GameTrailers 6.7/10 [5]
IGN 7.4/10
Compared to other Mario sports titles, Mario Super Sluggers was not particularly well-received. The lack of online play was a generally major factor in the reviews of Mario Super Sluggers. IGN gave Mario Super Sluggers 7.4/10, explaining that the game is fun but just the same game it played three years earlier. Gamespot gave the game 6.5/10, saying that it was for Mario collectors and "Wii Party hosts "only.[6]Gametrailers gave the game 6.7/10 and explained that a game that was published by Nintendo should have Wii Sports motions, but does not. It also noted some balance issues, the lack of improvement in presentation from the original Mario Superstar Baseball, issues with pitching, and the fact that it is a baseball game with little baseball.
Promotion
On August 24, 2008, Charles Martinet, who does the voice of Mario and other major characters, made a special appearance at the Nintendo World Store in New York City to promote the release of Mario Super Sluggers a day earlier than the official August 25 release date. People who purchased the game received a free baseball with the game's logo on it and were granted permission to see and talk to Martinet.
As part of the North American marketing launch, Nintendo created a series of collectible online cards along with mariosupersluggerscards.com, a website that served as a virtual collector’s album. The site promises that the series will include a card for each of the forty-one characters featured in Mario Super Sluggers.
The cards began appearing in banner ads on popular children websites on August 18, 2008, but have since begun to appear as embedded hyperlinks in other, less obvious locations. Mario Super Sluggers Cards have been found on other sites, such as youtube.
When the Seattle Mariners played versus the New York Yankees on September 5th, 2008, the game was promoted there at Safeco Field. The first 20,000 fans received special Mario Super Sluggers foam mitts. There were also two booths with the game demo, and Mario Super Sluggers Cards were also passed out there. Every inning, someone was randomly chosen to win a Wii system along with the game. Whenever a home run or a good play happened, the Safeco Field video screen showed a gameplay clip with Mario, Luigi, or Bowser. A Mario mascot also appeared before the game with the Mariners' mascot, the Moose, but left after the first inning.
References
^ GoNintendo » Blog Archive » Famitsu - two more Japanese Wii release dates- What are you waiting for?
^ Nintendo dates DS, Wii games - Wii News at GameSpot
^ Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) - Game Details - Australia's PAL Gaming Network
^ Nintendo Hits a Home Run with Mario Super Sluggers
^ Greg Ford (October 2008). "Power Surge". Electronic Gaming Monthly (233): 80. ISSN 1058-918X.
^ "Mario Super Sluggers Wii at Gamespot.com". gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-27.
External links
Offical Mario Super Sluggers Site
Mario Super Sluggers Site Card Collection Game
[show]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Super_Sluggers"
Categories: 2008 video games | Baseball video games | Wii games | Wii-only games | Mario sports games | Namco Bandai gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Català
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Português
This version of the page has been revised.
Besides normal editing, the reason for revision may have been that this version contains
factual inaccuracies, vandalism, or material not compatible with the GNU Free Documentation License.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Mario Super Slaggers ("Super Mario Stadium Family Baseball" in Japan) is a sports video game for the Wii developed by Namco Bandai and published by Nintendo. It was previously known by the working title, Super Mario Stadium Baseball. It is part of the Mario Sports series, and the sequel to Mario Superstar Baseball for the Nintendo GameCube. Mario Super Sluggers was released in Japan on June 19, 2008 and in North America on August 25, 2008.
Contents [hide]
1 Game modes
1.1 Exhibition Mode
1.2 Stadiums
1.3 Challenge Mode
1.4 Minigames
1.5 Sex Toy Field
1.6 Practice
1.7 Records
2 Gameplay
3 Characters
4 Reception
5 Promotion
6 References
7 External links
Game modes
Mario Super Sluggers features game modes that are similar to those of Mario Superstar Baseball.
Exhibition Mode
A simple baseball game where players choose their captain and players. Players will choose how many innings to play. Batting order is determined by a coin toss. Players can also choose to play a stadium at morning or night.
Stadiums
Mario Studium
Luigi's Mansion +(at night only)
Peach Bush Garden
Daisy Cruiser +
Yoshi Park
Wario City
DK Jungle
Bowser Jr. Playroom/Bowser Castle +
Stadiums with + are unlockable
Challenge Mode
The Player starts as Mario and must recruit all the characters. This is also where to unlock all characters and stadiums.
The Player can choose between five different captains, Mario and the unlockable captains Yoshi (Yoshi Park) , Donkey Kong (DK Jungle), Wario (Wario City), and Peach (Peach Ice Garden). He can switch captains at any time during gameplay. Then he goes to each stadium and unlocks players until he has a good enough team to challenge Bowser Jr. After defeating Bowser Jr., his stadium, Bowser Jr.'s Playroom, is replaced with Bowser's Castle. Then the player must either challenge Bowser or keep unlocking characters to make an even better team.
At each stadium there is a shop where the player can buy various error items, special bats, special gloves, pitching control power-ups, and other items with coins that you find in random places. One of these other items is Luigi's Flashlight, which then unlocks the stadium Luigi's Mansion(which can only be used at night). Another is the Daisy Cruiser pass, which unlocks Daisy's Cruiser.
Minigames
Some minigames can only be played in day or night time. There are 9 minigames in total. However, several of the minigames are unlockable. Some minigames only play with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk and the Wii Remote sideways.
Sex Toy Field
Players try to hit baseballs to point spaces all around the field. The other players try to catch the ball. If a player catches a ball, it is his turn to bat. At the end of the game, king medals are awarded such as first-catch king, last catch king... The computer adds up the score and the player with the most points will win. Toy field can be played with the Wii Remote with Nunchuk or the Wii Remote sideways.
Practice
Players learn to bat, pitch, fielding, special moves and base running.
Records
Shows MVPs of exhibition games, star players in challenge mode and high scores of the minigames. When the game is completed, the records will show the ending movie.MVP's stand for Most Valuable Player.
Gameplay
A pre-release screenshot of Yoshi up at bat against Bowser Jr.The gameplay of Mario Super Sluggers is similar to that of its predecessor; the main difference being the controls, with the Wii Remote adding immersion using a control scheme similar to the Baseball sub-game in Wii Sports.[4] There are three control methods available: Wii Remote by itself, Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and the Wii Remote held sideways.
Characters
Main article: Sports games in the Mario series#Mario Baseball
There are 41 playable characters in Mario Super Sluggers plus the player can play as their created Miis.
Reception
[hide] Reviews
Review scores
Publication Score
Electronic Gaming Monthly B
Game Informer 5.5/10
GameSpot 6.5/10
GameTrailers 6.7/10 [5]
IGN 7.4/10
Compared to other Mario sports titles, Mario Super Sluggers was not particularly well-received. The lack of online play was a generally major factor in the reviews of Mario Super Sluggers. IGN gave Mario Super Sluggers 7.4/10, explaining that the game is fun but just the same game it played three years earlier. Gamespot gave the game 6.5/10, saying that it was for Mario collectors and "Wii Party hosts "only.[6]Gametrailers gave the game 6.7/10 and explained that a game that was published by Nintendo should have Wii Sports motions, but does not. It also noted some balance issues, the lack of improvement in presentation from the original Mario Superstar Baseball, issues with pitching, and the fact that it is a baseball game with little baseball.
Promotion
On August 24, 2008, Charles Martinet, who does the voice of Mario and other major characters, made a special appearance at the Nintendo World Store in New York City to promote the release of Mario Super Sluggers a day earlier than the official August 25 release date. People who purchased the game received a free baseball with the game's logo on it and were granted permission to see and talk to Martinet.
As part of the North American marketing launch, Nintendo created a series of collectible online cards along with mariosupersluggerscards.com, a website that served as a virtual collector’s album. The site promises that the series will include a card for each of the forty-one characters featured in Mario Super Sluggers.
The cards began appearing in banner ads on popular children websites on August 18, 2008, but have since begun to appear as embedded hyperlinks in other, less obvious locations. Mario Super Sluggers Cards have been found on other sites, such as youtube.
When the Seattle Mariners played versus the New York Yankees on September 5th, 2008, the game was promoted there at Safeco Field. The first 20,000 fans received special Mario Super Sluggers foam mitts. There were also two booths with the game demo, and Mario Super Sluggers Cards were also passed out there. Every inning, someone was randomly chosen to win a Wii system along with the game. Whenever a home run or a good play happened, the Safeco Field video screen showed a gameplay clip with Mario, Luigi, or Bowser. A Mario mascot also appeared before the game with the Mariners' mascot, the Moose, but left after the first inning.
References
^ GoNintendo » Blog Archive » Famitsu - two more Japanese Wii release dates- What are you waiting for?
^ Nintendo dates DS, Wii games - Wii News at GameSpot
^ Mario Super Sluggers (Wii) - Game Details - Australia's PAL Gaming Network
^ Nintendo Hits a Home Run with Mario Super Sluggers
^ Greg Ford (October 2008). "Power Surge". Electronic Gaming Monthly (233): 80. ISSN 1058-918X.
^ "Mario Super Sluggers Wii at Gamespot.com". gamespot.com. Retrieved on 2008-08-27.
External links
Offical Mario Super Sluggers Site
Mario Super Sluggers Site Card Collection Game
[show]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mario_Super_Sluggers"
Categories: 2008 video games | Baseball video games | Wii games | Wii-only games | Mario sports games | Namco Bandai gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Català
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Português
This version of the page has been revised.
Besides normal editing, the reason for revision may have been that this version contains
factual inaccuracies, vandalism, or material not compatible with the GNU Free Documentation License.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers In March, Nintendo of America's vocal CEO Reggie Fils-Aime shifted the company's hype machine up a gear, saying "what we announce during [the E3 Media & Business Summit] is going to be fantastic." Giving breathing room to whatever reveal(s) that may be, the publisher today dated and confirmed for North America a number of previously announced Wii and DS games.
As revealed yesterday in Nintendo Europe's lineup dispatch, Wario Land is being revived after laying dormant since 2001's Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance. Available for the Wii on September 29, Wario Land: Shake It! continues with the franchise's side-scrolling platformer gameplay. Players will be able follow the game title's advice and shake it to attack enemies, open loot, and create earthquakes.
Also a revival of sorts, Kirby Super Star Ultra is a DS remake of the Super Nintendo platformer of the same name, originally released in 1996. In addition to revamped visuals and cutscenes, Kirby Super Star Ultra offers a variety of new modes, including Revenge of the King, Meta Knight Ultra, and three minigame challenges that support multiplayer gaming for up to four. The game will be released alongside Wario Land on September 29.
Joining Kirby and Wario in the ninth month of the year, Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir will be released for the DS on September 8. Previously a PC staple, this latest Mystery Case Files offers the classic puzzle-solving adventure gameplay, in which players will become private dicks to sleuth out the heir to a million-dollar estate. Puzzles will require both touch-screen and microphone interaction, and, in a first for the series, the game will include a multiplayer mode.
Lastly, Nintendo has dated Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii for August 25. First shown stateside in April, Mario Super Sluggers is a sequel to 2005's Mario Superstar Baseball for the GameCube, and features the mighty, mustachioed plumber and more than 30 of his Mushroom Kingdom crew taking to the diamond for power-up fueled stickball. Expanding on Wii Sports' swing mechanic, players will also be able to take the mound and mimic pitching the ball using the Wii Remote.
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juiceboxhero_x Posted Aug 1, 2008 9:02 am PT
Yay! I love when Nintendo releases titles like this. And, I have to address something:
odpr: "the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon...."
Hah. Fat chance. The Wii has released some good, great-selling games. I don't know if you've realized it by now, but the Wii had already surpassed the Xbox 360 sales by almost ten million. And why? Because people like the Wii. People love the Wii. and while it may not be for you, 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers alike like and love the Wii. Yeah, maybe the Wii isn't up to date with all the latest junk you can cram on to your VIDEO GAME system, but hey, it plays great friggin games, and in the end, that's all that matters to me and apparently 30 other million people that own a Wii.
Where are you getting your information from anyway; your own opinions? Sorry to say, dear, but the statistics are on my and anyone else's side 'defending' the Wii. Statistics just don't lie. And see, if the Wii's sales were drastically dropping, there might be cause for concern. It just so happens, however, that they're increasing. Hmm... don't think Nintendo's going to lose a huge mass of fans, new and old alike, anytime soon. Nintendo may not have their "hardcore" games coming out right now, but trust me, they're not going to abandon a solid fanbase for a fanbase ('casual gamers') that may or may not stay.
On a personal note, I've always been a hardcore Nintendo fan, and trust me, hypothetically, it's so unlikely I'll ever stray from Nintendo because they had a bad gen of systems.
On a side note, Mario is included in many titles because people LOVE Mario. It's their (and the world's) best selling videogame franchise to date, so why not? It sells. Nintendo is a business that caters to it's fanbase, which just so happen to like Mario the best. Do you really think they'll look at Mario sales and go, "Hey, guys, we need to stop producing Mario games. We have waaay too many!" Again, fat chance.
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment zaveline Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:28 pm PT
AWESOME! That was my favourite Game in 1995 i loved it im glad that there Porting it to the DS!
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Fatapuss Posted Jul 5, 2008 8:15 am PT
to odpr and mike what the heck the only thing good for the 360 is halo games and grand theft auto and the only thing going for ps3 is ratchet and clank, uncharted, metal gear solid, and call of duty. BUT Nintendo has mario galaxy, mario kart, mario strikers, metroid prime, brawl, battle revolution, paper mario,barrel blast, and mario and sonic. The DS is also doing good with the three mystery dungeon games and diamond and pearl. Also these games too:New super mario bros super mario 64 ds, yoshis island, mario kart, mario and sonic, and custom robo. And ds sales are beating psp in handheld and wii is beating ps3 and 360, even though 360 cheated by releasing their system a year earlier even though that didn't help cause they had alot of technical problems. SO HAHAHAHA
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment noamatt128 Posted Jun 30, 2008 12:36 pm PT
Everytime I lose hope in the Wii I buy a game that is hardcore for it the go to sleep easily that night It's a big stretch to say that the Wii is failing, the more I think about it. Only time will tell though.
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment ChickenHounk911 Posted Jun 30, 2008 10:00 am PT
odpr:
Nintendo buried itself? Maybe you should check the latest stats before saying anything. And if the numbers are any indication, the Wii is still hard to find in some places and is selling out in record time.
Granted, we all know that the wii does not have the graphical power of the PS3 or 360, NOR DOES IT CLAIM TO. They came into this console war with one idea only, to make a fun console and to appeal to EVERYONE. Second, according to the latest poll, Nintendo is the people's favorite game developer, who better than your own company to develop top tier games for your system. Mostly all of Nintendo developed games score above 80 on a 1 to 100 scale. And last, I agree with you that Nintendo should jump in on the online stuff, but many of the games are just as fun sitting with some friends on your couch with some wii remotes and just going at it. Take this from a guy that owns all 3 next gen systems. And I like each system for what it can offer. Nintendo for fun and innovation, PS3 for its exclusives and Blu-Ray capabilities and the 360 for Live and Hardcore gaming. Not a fanboy of either, a fanboy of all!
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 30, 2008 1:11 am PT
Yes, Nintendo for Fun and innovation.
that's what it should be,
but believe me I tried most of the games that should be fun, and I have to say that the only one that I found fun, and I was pretty disappointed to find out that it doesn't have online , is Wii sport.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment Nin10doFan44 Posted Jun 29, 2008 6:53 pm PT
@Odpr
opdr you got pwned and i totally agree Mike885! And one more thing opdr... stop kissing up too microsoft...its pathetic man...really pathetic!
agree 0 disagree 3 = -3 Login to rate this comment in2DarKneSs Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:50 pm PT
ODPR, don't be so crass. What kind of games do you even like? Just because a system doesn't have games you like doesn't mean it sucks. It is a good thing that narrow minded people like you don't run the industry or we would be playing Madden or Halo in hell for eternity. By the way, look at the sales index for the DS and Wii before you take your foot out of your mouth for the "buried itself" comment.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 7:28 am PT
not only that , "Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real."
true. what action games you refer to, if I might ask ? most of the FPS are poorly implemented, except metroid prim.
I am not Xbox 360 fan boy. most of the chances I was playing video games before you were born.
and, believe me I supported the Wii in the beginning and was telling people exactly what you are saying to me now.
but I am sorry to say, that Nintendo missed the train here ..
no good games, this saying is also valid for Nintendo DS (which I also own) .
let's hope next cycle, Nintendo will finally find a way to make a system that have a internet connection that "doesn't abuse the kids.."
". Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls,"
I don't know if you read it, but Microsoft is already developing the same remote for Xbox.. so people can play the All mighty tennis game in Xbox as well..
and good bye Nintendo.
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:56 am PT
mike, Of course every one love to play games and feel in it.
but tell me , did you see :
1) master chief baseball? 2) master chief soccer?
3)master chief karitng ?
4)master chief bowling?
5)master chief smashing ?
6) master chief brother wario chief ?
I think you get the idea...
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment Ruhdezee Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:59 pm PT
i need this game
agree 1 disagree 0 = +1 Login to rate this comment Padrepride Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:37 pm PT
i love mario baseball. Time to take some more hacks with my wii-mote
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Vikthorious Posted Jun 28, 2008 3:23 pm PT
uummm..im hoping a new metroid or kirby game for the wii...
agree 1 disagree 1 = 0 Login to rate this comment Mike885 Posted Jun 28, 2008 12:41 pm PT
Dang odpr, you talk just like an xbox fanboy. I now own all of the systems, and in my opinion (and in many other peoples opinions), the wii is probably the best. When i got my 360 I found out I had to spend all kinds of money for the sold separatly items just so the systems wouldn't break or so it can be fun. I can't even count how many times my 360 has gotton the red ring, and its only a few months old. I stoped going on live a while ago and now play online with my friends on stuff like mario kart wii or medal of honor. Sure it mentions mario a lot, but who cares, get over it and stop whining. I have heard so many geeks mention the master cheif to death more than nintendo has mentioned mario. Basicly right now with the gaming companies its like this now. You can basicly have a choice to have holograms with gamecube graphics, or you can be a button mashing with allmost perfect graphics. Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real. Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls, while you still see fat people complaining they don't wanna move and they buy a 360. Video game systems were made for one thing, VIDEO GAMES, THATS WHY THEY'RE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. Who cares if they can have music and watch movies, that's why there are I-pods and Blueray players. The wii can allready connect with other people to play games online games, at least you don't have to pay 8 bucks a month or have them rip you off if you bought a gold card and instead they use your credit card like what happened to many people. The wii doesn't have the best graphics but many of their games are way more fun, like the sport games. If microsoft didn't even have any shooting games they probably wouldn't even exist right now. Nintendo announced on their site a while ago that the next system they would make would have graphics just as good as the rest of the next gen systems. By the way, next time check your grammar, I could barely read what you were saying.
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment griffinx15 Posted Jun 28, 2008 11:58 am PT
i hoped for a new Metroid Prime Hunters too bad
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 27, 2008 3:43 pm PT
First, I own a wii.
I (as many of the people in the gaming industry who love video games)
thought that this time, I am going to see something new.
I am playing video games since 1980
And I was so happy that finally Nintendo is coming back, with new technology.
But very soon I found out that (as usual) they miss completely .
1) the year 2008- Nintendo never heard on the internet, (don';t tell me they have multiplayer because this friends codes method, is totally absurd)
2) GFX (yes I know, it is not important... but com on,., there is limit even to this saying) less then the Iphone
3)Games, none, (only tennis. ) for those of you who say that it a robust system, and doesn't brake, of course it doesn't it built on very old technology, not like 360 or ps that use new technology and by this facing new problems.
I am SO sad to see that Nintendo didn't leverage this round to be the first company and gain the crown again. last week I bough 360, you can not compare it to the Wii, sure you can not wave the remote,.,... that is true.
but, you can connect to the net, play with friends, play games!!!,enjoy music, HD, and not every game start with the word MArio. This round Nintendo buried itself forever.
it lost both worlds.
the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon....
after all one tennis game is way enough ...
In March, Nintendo of America's vocal CEO Reggie Fils-Aime shifted the company's hype machine up a gear, saying "what we announce during [the E3 Media & Business Summit] is going to be fantastic." Giving breathing room to whatever reveal(s) that may be, the publisher today dated and confirmed for North America a number of previously announced Wii and DS games.
As revealed yesterday in Nintendo Europe's lineup dispatch, Wario Land is being revived after laying dormant since 2001's Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance. Available for the Wii on September 29, Wario Land: Shake It! continues with the franchise's side-scrolling platformer gameplay. Players will be able follow the game title's advice and shake it to attack enemies, open loot, and create earthquakes.
Also a revival of sorts, Kirby Super Star Ultra is a DS remake of the Super Nintendo platformer of the same name, originally released in 1996. In addition to revamped visuals and cutscenes, Kirby Super Star Ultra offers a variety of new modes, including Revenge of the King, Meta Knight Ultra, and three minigame challenges that support multiplayer gaming for up to four. The game will be released alongside Wario Land on September 29.
Joining Kirby and Wario in the ninth month of the year, Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir will be released for the DS on September 8. Previously a PC staple, this latest Mystery Case Files offers the classic puzzle-solving adventure gameplay, in which players will become private dicks to sleuth out the heir to a million-dollar estate. Puzzles will require both touch-screen and microphone interaction, and, in a first for the series, the game will include a multiplayer mode.
Lastly, Nintendo has dated Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii for August 25. First shown stateside in April, Mario Super Sluggers is a sequel to 2005's Mario Superstar Baseball for the GameCube, and features the mighty, mustachioed plumber and more than 30 of his Mushroom Kingdom crew taking to the diamond for power-up fueled stickball. Expanding on Wii Sports' swing mechanic, players will also be able to take the mound and mimic pitching the ball using the Wii Remote.
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juiceboxhero_x Posted Aug 1, 2008 9:02 am PT
Yay! I love when Nintendo releases titles like this. And, I have to address something:
odpr: "the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon...."
Hah. Fat chance. The Wii has released some good, great-selling games. I don't know if you've realized it by now, but the Wii had already surpassed the Xbox 360 sales by almost ten million. And why? Because people like the Wii. People love the Wii. and while it may not be for you, 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers alike like and love the Wii. Yeah, maybe the Wii isn't up to date with all the latest junk you can cram on to your VIDEO GAME system, but hey, it plays great friggin games, and in the end, that's all that matters to me and apparently 30 other million people that own a Wii.
Where are you getting your information from anyway; your own opinions? Sorry to say, dear, but the statistics are on my and anyone else's side 'defending' the Wii. Statistics just don't lie. And see, if the Wii's sales were drastically dropping, there might be cause for concern. It just so happens, however, that they're increasing. Hmm... don't think Nintendo's going to lose a huge mass of fans, new and old alike, anytime soon. Nintendo may not have their "hardcore" games coming out right now, but trust me, they're not going to abandon a solid fanbase for a fanbase ('casual gamers') that may or may not stay.
On a personal note, I've always been a hardcore Nintendo fan, and trust me, hypothetically, it's so unlikely I'll ever stray from Nintendo because they had a bad gen of systems.
On a side note, Mario is included in many titles because people LOVE Mario. It's their (and the world's) best selling videogame franchise to date, so why not? It sells. Nintendo is a business that caters to it's fanbase, which just so happen to like Mario the best. Do you really think they'll look at Mario sales and go, "Hey, guys, we need to stop producing Mario games. We have waaay too many!" Again, fat chance.
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment zaveline Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:28 pm PT
AWESOME! That was my favourite Game in 1995 i loved it im glad that there Porting it to the DS!
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Fatapuss Posted Jul 5, 2008 8:15 am PT
to odpr and mike what the heck the only thing good for the 360 is halo games and grand theft auto and the only thing going for ps3 is ratchet and clank, uncharted, metal gear solid, and call of duty. BUT Nintendo has mario galaxy, mario kart, mario strikers, metroid prime, brawl, battle revolution, paper mario,barrel blast, and mario and sonic. The DS is also doing good with the three mystery dungeon games and diamond and pearl. Also these games too:New super mario bros super mario 64 ds, yoshis island, mario kart, mario and sonic, and custom robo. And ds sales are beating psp in handheld and wii is beating ps3 and 360, even though 360 cheated by releasing their system a year earlier even though that didn't help cause they had alot of technical problems. SO HAHAHAHA
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment noamatt128 Posted Jun 30, 2008 12:36 pm PT
Everytime I lose hope in the Wii I buy a game that is hardcore for it the go to sleep easily that night It's a big stretch to say that the Wii is failing, the more I think about it. Only time will tell though.
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment ChickenHounk911 Posted Jun 30, 2008 10:00 am PT
odpr:
Nintendo buried itself? Maybe you should check the latest stats before saying anything. And if the numbers are any indication, the Wii is still hard to find in some places and is selling out in record time.
Granted, we all know that the wii does not have the graphical power of the PS3 or 360, NOR DOES IT CLAIM TO. They came into this console war with one idea only, to make a fun console and to appeal to EVERYONE. Second, according to the latest poll, Nintendo is the people's favorite game developer, who better than your own company to develop top tier games for your system. Mostly all of Nintendo developed games score above 80 on a 1 to 100 scale. And last, I agree with you that Nintendo should jump in on the online stuff, but many of the games are just as fun sitting with some friends on your couch with some wii remotes and just going at it. Take this from a guy that owns all 3 next gen systems. And I like each system for what it can offer. Nintendo for fun and innovation, PS3 for its exclusives and Blu-Ray capabilities and the 360 for Live and Hardcore gaming. Not a fanboy of either, a fanboy of all!
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 30, 2008 1:11 am PT
Yes, Nintendo for Fun and innovation.
that's what it should be,
but believe me I tried most of the games that should be fun, and I have to say that the only one that I found fun, and I was pretty disappointed to find out that it doesn't have online , is Wii sport.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment Nin10doFan44 Posted Jun 29, 2008 6:53 pm PT
@Odpr
opdr you got pwned and i totally agree Mike885! And one more thing opdr... stop kissing up too microsoft...its pathetic man...really pathetic!
agree 0 disagree 3 = -3 Login to rate this comment in2DarKneSs Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:50 pm PT
ODPR, don't be so crass. What kind of games do you even like? Just because a system doesn't have games you like doesn't mean it sucks. It is a good thing that narrow minded people like you don't run the industry or we would be playing Madden or Halo in hell for eternity. By the way, look at the sales index for the DS and Wii before you take your foot out of your mouth for the "buried itself" comment.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 7:28 am PT
not only that , "Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real."
true. what action games you refer to, if I might ask ? most of the FPS are poorly implemented, except metroid prim.
I am not Xbox 360 fan boy. most of the chances I was playing video games before you were born.
and, believe me I supported the Wii in the beginning and was telling people exactly what you are saying to me now.
but I am sorry to say, that Nintendo missed the train here ..
no good games, this saying is also valid for Nintendo DS (which I also own) .
let's hope next cycle, Nintendo will finally find a way to make a system that have a internet connection that "doesn't abuse the kids.."
". Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls,"
I don't know if you read it, but Microsoft is already developing the same remote for Xbox.. so people can play the All mighty tennis game in Xbox as well..
and good bye Nintendo.
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:56 am PT
mike, Of course every one love to play games and feel in it.
but tell me , did you see :
1) master chief baseball? 2) master chief soccer?
3)master chief karitng ?
4)master chief bowling?
5)master chief smashing ?
6) master chief brother wario chief ?
I think you get the idea...
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment Ruhdezee Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:59 pm PT
i need this game
agree 1 disagree 0 = +1 Login to rate this comment Padrepride Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:37 pm PT
i love mario baseball. Time to take some more hacks with my wii-mote
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Vikthorious Posted Jun 28, 2008 3:23 pm PT
uummm..im hoping a new metroid or kirby game for the wii...
agree 1 disagree 1 = 0 Login to rate this comment Mike885 Posted Jun 28, 2008 12:41 pm PT
Dang odpr, you talk just like an xbox fanboy. I now own all of the systems, and in my opinion (and in many other peoples opinions), the wii is probably the best. When i got my 360 I found out I had to spend all kinds of money for the sold separatly items just so the systems wouldn't break or so it can be fun. I can't even count how many times my 360 has gotton the red ring, and its only a few months old. I stoped going on live a while ago and now play online with my friends on stuff like mario kart wii or medal of honor. Sure it mentions mario a lot, but who cares, get over it and stop whining. I have heard so many geeks mention the master cheif to death more than nintendo has mentioned mario. Basicly right now with the gaming companies its like this now. You can basicly have a choice to have holograms with gamecube graphics, or you can be a button mashing with allmost perfect graphics. Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real. Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls, while you still see fat people complaining they don't wanna move and they buy a 360. Video game systems were made for one thing, VIDEO GAMES, THATS WHY THEY'RE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. Who cares if they can have music and watch movies, that's why there are I-pods and Blueray players. The wii can allready connect with other people to play games online games, at least you don't have to pay 8 bucks a month or have them rip you off if you bought a gold card and instead they use your credit card like what happened to many people. The wii doesn't have the best graphics but many of their games are way more fun, like the sport games. If microsoft didn't even have any shooting games they probably wouldn't even exist right now. Nintendo announced on their site a while ago that the next system they would make would have graphics just as good as the rest of the next gen systems. By the way, next time check your grammar, I could barely read what you were saying.
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment griffinx15 Posted Jun 28, 2008 11:58 am PT
i hoped for a new Metroid Prime Hunters too bad
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 27, 2008 3:43 pm PT
First, I own a wii.
I (as many of the people in the gaming industry who love video games)
thought that this time, I am going to see something new.
I am playing video games since 1980
And I was so happy that finally Nintendo is coming back, with new technology.
But very soon I found out that (as usual) they miss completely .
1) the year 2008- Nintendo never heard on the internet, (don';t tell me they have multiplayer because this friends codes method, is totally absurd)
2) GFX (yes I know, it is not important... but com on,., there is limit even to this saying) less then the Iphone
3)Games, none, (only tennis. ) for those of you who say that it a robust system, and doesn't brake, of course it doesn't it built on very old technology, not like 360 or ps that use new technology and by this facing new problems.
I am SO sad to see that Nintendo didn't leverage this round to be the first company and gain the crown again. last week I bough 360, you can not compare it to the Wii, sure you can not wave the remote,.,... that is true.
but, you can connect to the net, play with friends, play games!!!,enjoy music, HD, and not every game start with the word MArio. This round Nintendo buried itself forever.
it lost both worlds.
the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon....
after all one tennis game is way enough ...
In March, Nintendo of America's vocal CEO Reggie Fils-Aime shifted the company's hype machine up a gear, saying "what we announce during [the E3 Media & Business Summit] is going to be fantastic." Giving breathing room to whatever reveal(s) that may be, the publisher today dated and confirmed for North America a number of previously announced Wii and DS games.
As revealed yesterday in Nintendo Europe's lineup dispatch, Wario Land is being revived after laying dormant since 2001's Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance. Available for the Wii on September 29, Wario Land: Shake It! continues with the franchise's side-scrolling platformer gameplay. Players will be able follow the game title's advice and shake it to attack enemies, open loot, and create earthquakes.
Also a revival of sorts, Kirby Super Star Ultra is a DS remake of the Super Nintendo platformer of the same name, originally released in 1996. In addition to revamped visuals and cutscenes, Kirby Super Star Ultra offers a variety of new modes, including Revenge of the King, Meta Knight Ultra, and three minigame challenges that support multiplayer gaming for up to four. The game will be released alongside Wario Land on September 29.
Joining Kirby and Wario in the ninth month of the year, Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir will be released for the DS on September 8. Previously a PC staple, this latest Mystery Case Files offers the classic puzzle-solving adventure gameplay, in which players will become private dicks to sleuth out the heir to a million-dollar estate. Puzzles will require both touch-screen and microphone interaction, and, in a first for the series, the game will include a multiplayer mode.
Lastly, Nintendo has dated Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii for August 25. First shown stateside in April, Mario Super Sluggers is a sequel to 2005's Mario Superstar Baseball for the GameCube, and features the mighty, mustachioed plumber and more than 30 of his Mushroom Kingdom crew taking to the diamond for power-up fueled stickball. Expanding on Wii Sports' swing mechanic, players will also be able to take the mound and mimic pitching the ball using the Wii Remote.
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juiceboxhero_x Posted Aug 1, 2008 9:02 am PT
Yay! I love when Nintendo releases titles like this. And, I have to address something:
odpr: "the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon...."
Hah. Fat chance. The Wii has released some good, great-selling games. I don't know if you've realized it by now, but the Wii had already surpassed the Xbox 360 sales by almost ten million. And why? Because people like the Wii. People love the Wii. and while it may not be for you, 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers alike like and love the Wii. Yeah, maybe the Wii isn't up to date with all the latest junk you can cram on to your VIDEO GAME system, but hey, it plays great friggin games, and in the end, that's all that matters to me and apparently 30 other million people that own a Wii.
Where are you getting your information from anyway; your own opinions? Sorry to say, dear, but the statistics are on my and anyone else's side 'defending' the Wii. Statistics just don't lie. And see, if the Wii's sales were drastically dropping, there might be cause for concern. It just so happens, however, that they're increasing. Hmm... don't think Nintendo's going to lose a huge mass of fans, new and old alike, anytime soon. Nintendo may not have their "hardcore" games coming out right now, but trust me, they're not going to abandon a solid fanbase for a fanbase ('casual gamers') that may or may not stay.
On a personal note, I've always been a hardcore Nintendo fan, and trust me, hypothetically, it's so unlikely I'll ever stray from Nintendo because they had a bad gen of systems.
On a side note, Mario is included in many titles because people LOVE Mario. It's their (and the world's) best selling videogame franchise to date, so why not? It sells. Nintendo is a business that caters to it's fanbase, which just so happen to like Mario the best. Do you really think they'll look at Mario sales and go, "Hey, guys, we need to stop producing Mario games. We have waaay too many!" Again, fat chance.
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment zaveline Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:28 pm PT
AWESOME! That was my favourite Game in 1995 i loved it im glad that there Porting it to the DS!
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Fatapuss Posted Jul 5, 2008 8:15 am PT
to odpr and mike what the heck the only thing good for the 360 is halo games and grand theft auto and the only thing going for ps3 is ratchet and clank, uncharted, metal gear solid, and call of duty. BUT Nintendo has mario galaxy, mario kart, mario strikers, metroid prime, brawl, battle revolution, paper mario,barrel blast, and mario and sonic. The DS is also doing good with the three mystery dungeon games and diamond and pearl. Also these games too:New super mario bros super mario 64 ds, yoshis island, mario kart, mario and sonic, and custom robo. And ds sales are beating psp in handheld and wii is beating ps3 and 360, even though 360 cheated by releasing their system a year earlier even though that didn't help cause they had alot of technical problems. SO HAHAHAHA
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment noamatt128 Posted Jun 30, 2008 12:36 pm PT
Everytime I lose hope in the Wii I buy a game that is hardcore for it the go to sleep easily that night It's a big stretch to say that the Wii is failing, the more I think about it. Only time will tell though.
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment ChickenHounk911 Posted Jun 30, 2008 10:00 am PT
odpr:
Nintendo buried itself? Maybe you should check the latest stats before saying anything. And if the numbers are any indication, the Wii is still hard to find in some places and is selling out in record time.
Granted, we all know that the wii does not have the graphical power of the PS3 or 360, NOR DOES IT CLAIM TO. They came into this console war with one idea only, to make a fun console and to appeal to EVERYONE. Second, according to the latest poll, Nintendo is the people's favorite game developer, who better than your own company to develop top tier games for your system. Mostly all of Nintendo developed games score above 80 on a 1 to 100 scale. And last, I agree with you that Nintendo should jump in on the online stuff, but many of the games are just as fun sitting with some friends on your couch with some wii remotes and just going at it. Take this from a guy that owns all 3 next gen systems. And I like each system for what it can offer. Nintendo for fun and innovation, PS3 for its exclusives and Blu-Ray capabilities and the 360 for Live and Hardcore gaming. Not a fanboy of either, a fanboy of all!
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 30, 2008 1:11 am PT
Yes, Nintendo for Fun and innovation.
that's what it should be,
but believe me I tried most of the games that should be fun, and I have to say that the only one that I found fun, and I was pretty disappointed to find out that it doesn't have online , is Wii sport.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment Nin10doFan44 Posted Jun 29, 2008 6:53 pm PT
@Odpr
opdr you got pwned and i totally agree Mike885! And one more thing opdr... stop kissing up too microsoft...its pathetic man...really pathetic!
agree 0 disagree 3 = -3 Login to rate this comment in2DarKneSs Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:50 pm PT
ODPR, don't be so crass. What kind of games do you even like? Just because a system doesn't have games you like doesn't mean it sucks. It is a good thing that narrow minded people like you don't run the industry or we would be playing Madden or Halo in hell for eternity. By the way, look at the sales index for the DS and Wii before you take your foot out of your mouth for the "buried itself" comment.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 7:28 am PT
not only that , "Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real."
true. what action games you refer to, if I might ask ? most of the FPS are poorly implemented, except metroid prim.
I am not Xbox 360 fan boy. most of the chances I was playing video games before you were born.
and, believe me I supported the Wii in the beginning and was telling people exactly what you are saying to me now.
but I am sorry to say, that Nintendo missed the train here ..
no good games, this saying is also valid for Nintendo DS (which I also own) .
let's hope next cycle, Nintendo will finally find a way to make a system that have a internet connection that "doesn't abuse the kids.."
". Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls,"
I don't know if you read it, but Microsoft is already developing the same remote for Xbox.. so people can play the All mighty tennis game in Xbox as well..
and good bye Nintendo.
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:56 am PT
mike, Of course every one love to play games and feel in it.
but tell me , did you see :
1) master chief baseball? 2) master chief soccer?
3)master chief karitng ?
4)master chief bowling?
5)master chief smashing ?
6) master chief brother wario chief ?
I think you get the idea...
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment Ruhdezee Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:59 pm PT
i need this game
agree 1 disagree 0 = +1 Login to rate this comment Padrepride Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:37 pm PT
i love mario baseball. Time to take some more hacks with my wii-mote
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Vikthorious Posted Jun 28, 2008 3:23 pm PT
uummm..im hoping a new metroid or kirby game for the wii...
agree 1 disagree 1 = 0 Login to rate this comment Mike885 Posted Jun 28, 2008 12:41 pm PT
Dang odpr, you talk just like an xbox fanboy. I now own all of the systems, and in my opinion (and in many other peoples opinions), the wii is probably the best. When i got my 360 I found out I had to spend all kinds of money for the sold separatly items just so the systems wouldn't break or so it can be fun. I can't even count how many times my 360 has gotton the red ring, and its only a few months old. I stoped going on live a while ago and now play online with my friends on stuff like mario kart wii or medal of honor. Sure it mentions mario a lot, but who cares, get over it and stop whining. I have heard so many geeks mention the master cheif to death more than nintendo has mentioned mario. Basicly right now with the gaming companies its like this now. You can basicly have a choice to have holograms with gamecube graphics, or you can be a button mashing with allmost perfect graphics. Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real. Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls, while you still see fat people complaining they don't wanna move and they buy a 360. Video game systems were made for one thing, VIDEO GAMES, THATS WHY THEY'RE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. Who cares if they can have music and watch movies, that's why there are I-pods and Blueray players. The wii can allready connect with other people to play games online games, at least you don't have to pay 8 bucks a month or have them rip you off if you bought a gold card and instead they use your credit card like what happened to many people. The wii doesn't have the best graphics but many of their games are way more fun, like the sport games. If microsoft didn't even have any shooting games they probably wouldn't even exist right now. Nintendo announced on their site a while ago that the next system they would make would have graphics just as good as the rest of the next gen systems. By the way, next time check your grammar, I could barely read what you were saying.
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment griffinx15 Posted Jun 28, 2008 11:58 am PT
i hoped for a new Metroid Prime Hunters too bad
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 27, 2008 3:43 pm PT
First, I own a wii.
I (as many of the people in the gaming industry who love video games)
thought that this time, I am going to see something new.
I am playing video games since 1980
And I was so happy that finally Nintendo is coming back, with new technology.
But very soon I found out that (as usual) they miss completely .
1) the year 2008- Nintendo never heard on the internet, (don';t tell me they have multiplayer because this friends codes method, is totally absurd)
2) GFX (yes I know, it is not important... but com on,., there is limit even to this saying) less then the Iphone
3)Games, none, (only tennis. ) for those of you who say that it a robust system, and doesn't brake, of course it doesn't it built on very old technology, not like 360 or ps that use new technology and by this facing new problems.
I am SO sad to see that Nintendo didn't leverage this round to be the first company and gain the crown again. last week I bough 360, you can not compare it to the Wii, sure you can not wave the remote,.,... that is true.
but, you can connect to the net, play with friends, play games!!!,enjoy music, HD, and not every game start with the word MArio. This round Nintendo buried itself forever.
it lost both worlds.
the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon....
after all one tennis game is way enough ...
In March, Nintendo of America's vocal CEO Reggie Fils-Aime shifted the company's hype machine up a gear, saying "what we announce during [the E3 Media & Business Summit] is going to be fantastic." Giving breathing room to whatever reveal(s) that may be, the publisher today dated and confirmed for North America a number of previously announced Wii and DS games.
As revealed yesterday in Nintendo Europe's lineup dispatch, Wario Land is being revived after laying dormant since 2001's Wario Land 4 for the Game Boy Advance. Available for the Wii on September 29, Wario Land: Shake It! continues with the franchise's side-scrolling platformer gameplay. Players will be able follow the game title's advice and shake it to attack enemies, open loot, and create earthquakes.
Also a revival of sorts, Kirby Super Star Ultra is a DS remake of the Super Nintendo platformer of the same name, originally released in 1996. In addition to revamped visuals and cutscenes, Kirby Super Star Ultra offers a variety of new modes, including Revenge of the King, Meta Knight Ultra, and three minigame challenges that support multiplayer gaming for up to four. The game will be released alongside Wario Land on September 29.
Joining Kirby and Wario in the ninth month of the year, Big Fish Games' Mystery Case Files: MillionHeir will be released for the DS on September 8. Previously a PC staple, this latest Mystery Case Files offers the classic puzzle-solving adventure gameplay, in which players will become private dicks to sleuth out the heir to a million-dollar estate. Puzzles will require both touch-screen and microphone interaction, and, in a first for the series, the game will include a multiplayer mode.
Lastly, Nintendo has dated Mario Super Sluggers on the Wii for August 25. First shown stateside in April, Mario Super Sluggers is a sequel to 2005's Mario Superstar Baseball for the GameCube, and features the mighty, mustachioed plumber and more than 30 of his Mushroom Kingdom crew taking to the diamond for power-up fueled stickball. Expanding on Wii Sports' swing mechanic, players will also be able to take the mound and mimic pitching the ball using the Wii Remote.
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juiceboxhero_x Posted Aug 1, 2008 9:02 am PT
Yay! I love when Nintendo releases titles like this. And, I have to address something:
odpr: "the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon...."
Hah. Fat chance. The Wii has released some good, great-selling games. I don't know if you've realized it by now, but the Wii had already surpassed the Xbox 360 sales by almost ten million. And why? Because people like the Wii. People love the Wii. and while it may not be for you, 'hardcore' and 'casual' gamers alike like and love the Wii. Yeah, maybe the Wii isn't up to date with all the latest junk you can cram on to your VIDEO GAME system, but hey, it plays great friggin games, and in the end, that's all that matters to me and apparently 30 other million people that own a Wii.
Where are you getting your information from anyway; your own opinions? Sorry to say, dear, but the statistics are on my and anyone else's side 'defending' the Wii. Statistics just don't lie. And see, if the Wii's sales were drastically dropping, there might be cause for concern. It just so happens, however, that they're increasing. Hmm... don't think Nintendo's going to lose a huge mass of fans, new and old alike, anytime soon. Nintendo may not have their "hardcore" games coming out right now, but trust me, they're not going to abandon a solid fanbase for a fanbase ('casual gamers') that may or may not stay.
On a personal note, I've always been a hardcore Nintendo fan, and trust me, hypothetically, it's so unlikely I'll ever stray from Nintendo because they had a bad gen of systems.
On a side note, Mario is included in many titles because people LOVE Mario. It's their (and the world's) best selling videogame franchise to date, so why not? It sells. Nintendo is a business that caters to it's fanbase, which just so happen to like Mario the best. Do you really think they'll look at Mario sales and go, "Hey, guys, we need to stop producing Mario games. We have waaay too many!" Again, fat chance.
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment zaveline Posted Jul 17, 2008 5:28 pm PT
AWESOME! That was my favourite Game in 1995 i loved it im glad that there Porting it to the DS!
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Fatapuss Posted Jul 5, 2008 8:15 am PT
to odpr and mike what the heck the only thing good for the 360 is halo games and grand theft auto and the only thing going for ps3 is ratchet and clank, uncharted, metal gear solid, and call of duty. BUT Nintendo has mario galaxy, mario kart, mario strikers, metroid prime, brawl, battle revolution, paper mario,barrel blast, and mario and sonic. The DS is also doing good with the three mystery dungeon games and diamond and pearl. Also these games too:New super mario bros super mario 64 ds, yoshis island, mario kart, mario and sonic, and custom robo. And ds sales are beating psp in handheld and wii is beating ps3 and 360, even though 360 cheated by releasing their system a year earlier even though that didn't help cause they had alot of technical problems. SO HAHAHAHA
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment noamatt128 Posted Jun 30, 2008 12:36 pm PT
Everytime I lose hope in the Wii I buy a game that is hardcore for it the go to sleep easily that night It's a big stretch to say that the Wii is failing, the more I think about it. Only time will tell though.
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment ChickenHounk911 Posted Jun 30, 2008 10:00 am PT
odpr:
Nintendo buried itself? Maybe you should check the latest stats before saying anything. And if the numbers are any indication, the Wii is still hard to find in some places and is selling out in record time.
Granted, we all know that the wii does not have the graphical power of the PS3 or 360, NOR DOES IT CLAIM TO. They came into this console war with one idea only, to make a fun console and to appeal to EVERYONE. Second, according to the latest poll, Nintendo is the people's favorite game developer, who better than your own company to develop top tier games for your system. Mostly all of Nintendo developed games score above 80 on a 1 to 100 scale. And last, I agree with you that Nintendo should jump in on the online stuff, but many of the games are just as fun sitting with some friends on your couch with some wii remotes and just going at it. Take this from a guy that owns all 3 next gen systems. And I like each system for what it can offer. Nintendo for fun and innovation, PS3 for its exclusives and Blu-Ray capabilities and the 360 for Live and Hardcore gaming. Not a fanboy of either, a fanboy of all!
agree 2 disagree 0 = +2 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 30, 2008 1:11 am PT
Yes, Nintendo for Fun and innovation.
that's what it should be,
but believe me I tried most of the games that should be fun, and I have to say that the only one that I found fun, and I was pretty disappointed to find out that it doesn't have online , is Wii sport.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment Nin10doFan44 Posted Jun 29, 2008 6:53 pm PT
@Odpr
opdr you got pwned and i totally agree Mike885! And one more thing opdr... stop kissing up too microsoft...its pathetic man...really pathetic!
agree 0 disagree 3 = -3 Login to rate this comment in2DarKneSs Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:50 pm PT
ODPR, don't be so crass. What kind of games do you even like? Just because a system doesn't have games you like doesn't mean it sucks. It is a good thing that narrow minded people like you don't run the industry or we would be playing Madden or Halo in hell for eternity. By the way, look at the sales index for the DS and Wii before you take your foot out of your mouth for the "buried itself" comment.
agree 1 disagree 2 = -1 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 7:28 am PT
not only that , "Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real."
true. what action games you refer to, if I might ask ? most of the FPS are poorly implemented, except metroid prim.
I am not Xbox 360 fan boy. most of the chances I was playing video games before you were born.
and, believe me I supported the Wii in the beginning and was telling people exactly what you are saying to me now.
but I am sorry to say, that Nintendo missed the train here ..
no good games, this saying is also valid for Nintendo DS (which I also own) .
let's hope next cycle, Nintendo will finally find a way to make a system that have a internet connection that "doesn't abuse the kids.."
". Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls,"
I don't know if you read it, but Microsoft is already developing the same remote for Xbox.. so people can play the All mighty tennis game in Xbox as well..
and good bye Nintendo.
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 29, 2008 2:56 am PT
mike, Of course every one love to play games and feel in it.
but tell me , did you see :
1) master chief baseball? 2) master chief soccer?
3)master chief karitng ?
4)master chief bowling?
5)master chief smashing ?
6) master chief brother wario chief ?
I think you get the idea...
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment Ruhdezee Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:59 pm PT
i need this game
agree 1 disagree 0 = +1 Login to rate this comment Padrepride Posted Jun 28, 2008 10:37 pm PT
i love mario baseball. Time to take some more hacks with my wii-mote
agree 0 disagree 0 = 0 Login to rate this comment Vikthorious Posted Jun 28, 2008 3:23 pm PT
uummm..im hoping a new metroid or kirby game for the wii...
agree 1 disagree 1 = 0 Login to rate this comment Mike885 Posted Jun 28, 2008 12:41 pm PT
Dang odpr, you talk just like an xbox fanboy. I now own all of the systems, and in my opinion (and in many other peoples opinions), the wii is probably the best. When i got my 360 I found out I had to spend all kinds of money for the sold separatly items just so the systems wouldn't break or so it can be fun. I can't even count how many times my 360 has gotton the red ring, and its only a few months old. I stoped going on live a while ago and now play online with my friends on stuff like mario kart wii or medal of honor. Sure it mentions mario a lot, but who cares, get over it and stop whining. I have heard so many geeks mention the master cheif to death more than nintendo has mentioned mario. Basicly right now with the gaming companies its like this now. You can basicly have a choice to have holograms with gamecube graphics, or you can be a button mashing with allmost perfect graphics. Most people would rather be in the action then look at a flat screen with graphics that look near real. Right now most systems but the 360 are starting to move on. At least sony has some motion controlls, while you still see fat people complaining they don't wanna move and they buy a 360. Video game systems were made for one thing, VIDEO GAMES, THATS WHY THEY'RE VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. Who cares if they can have music and watch movies, that's why there are I-pods and Blueray players. The wii can allready connect with other people to play games online games, at least you don't have to pay 8 bucks a month or have them rip you off if you bought a gold card and instead they use your credit card like what happened to many people. The wii doesn't have the best graphics but many of their games are way more fun, like the sport games. If microsoft didn't even have any shooting games they probably wouldn't even exist right now. Nintendo announced on their site a while ago that the next system they would make would have graphics just as good as the rest of the next gen systems. By the way, next time check your grammar, I could barely read what you were saying.
agree 2 disagree 1 = +1 Login to rate this comment griffinx15 Posted Jun 28, 2008 11:58 am PT
i hoped for a new Metroid Prime Hunters too bad
agree 2 disagree 2 = 0 Login to rate this comment odpr Posted Jun 27, 2008 3:43 pm PT
First, I own a wii.
I (as many of the people in the gaming industry who love video games)
thought that this time, I am going to see something new.
I am playing video games since 1980
And I was so happy that finally Nintendo is coming back, with new technology.
But very soon I found out that (as usual) they miss completely .
1) the year 2008- Nintendo never heard on the internet, (don';t tell me they have multiplayer because this friends codes method, is totally absurd)
2) GFX (yes I know, it is not important... but com on,., there is limit even to this saying) less then the Iphone
3)Games, none, (only tennis. ) for those of you who say that it a robust system, and doesn't brake, of course it doesn't it built on very old technology, not like 360 or ps that use new technology and by this facing new problems.
I am SO sad to see that Nintendo didn't leverage this round to be the first company and gain the crown again. last week I bough 360, you can not compare it to the Wii, sure you can not wave the remote,.,... that is true.
but, you can connect to the net, play with friends, play games!!!,enjoy music, HD, and not every game start with the word MArio. This round Nintendo buried itself forever.
it lost both worlds.
the hard core gamers, will not come back to Nintendo ever.
and the casual gamers that Nintendo so proud of catching,
they won't buy any new system soon....
after all one tennis game is way enough ...
Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
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Languages
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This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Contents
Featured content
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Random article
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Languages
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This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk (bokmål)
Português
Suomi
Svenska
This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk (bokmål)
Português
Suomi
Svenska
This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Contents
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Random article
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Languages
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This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Contents
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Random article
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Languages
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This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk (bokmål)
Português
Suomi
Svenska
This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
Categories: Nintendo stubs | Mario sports gamesViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
Languages
Deutsch
Español
Français
Italiano
Nederlands
日本語
Norsk (bokmål)
Português
Suomi
Svenska
This page was last modified on 17 January 2009, at 21:22. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Character Mario Superstar Baseball Mario Super Sluggers
Baby Daisy N Y
Baby Donkey Kong N Y
Baby Peach N Y
Baby Luigi Y Y
Baby Mario Y Y
Birdo Y Y
Blooper N Y
Boo Y Y
Bowser Y Y
Bowser Jr. Y Y
Diddy Kong Y Y
Dixie Kong Y Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones Y Y
Funky Kong N Y
Goomba Y Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
King Boo Y Y
King K. Rool N Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kritter N Y
Luigi Y Y
Magikoopa Y Y
Mario Y Y
Mii N Y
Monty Mole Y Y
Noki Y Y
Paragoomba Y Y
Paratroopa Y Y
Petey Piranha Y Y
Pianta Y Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Shy Guy Y Y
Toad Y Y
Toadette Y Y
Toadsworth Y Y
Tiny Kong N Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Wiggler N Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Golf
Mario Golf is a sports video game series that was developed by Camelot Software Planning and published by Nintendo. It began on the Nintendo 64 with two games, one for the N64 and the other for the Game Boy Color. Since then, there have also been releases of one game on both the GameCube and the Game Boy Advance. In addition, both NES Open Tournament Golf and Mario Golf for the Nintendo 64 have been re-released for the Virtual Console.
The N64 and Game Boy Color versions can communicate each other via Transfer Pak connectivity, and the GameCube and GBA versions can do the same via the Nintendo GameCube-Game Boy Advance cable. Players can upload characters and data into the other game.
Games in the series include:
Golf - Nintendo Entertainment System - 1985
NES Open Tournament Golf - NES - 1991
Mario Golf - Nintendo 64 - 1999
Mario Golf - Game Boy Color - 1999
Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour - Nintendo GameCube - 2003
Mario Golf: Advance Tour - Game Boy Advance - 2004
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character NES Open Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Toadstool
Tour Advance
Tour
Baby Mario N Y N N N
Birdo N N N Y N
Boo N N N Y N
Bowser N Y N Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N N N Y N
Charlie N Y N N N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y N Y Y
Koopa Troopa N N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Metal Mario N Y N N N
Plum N Y N N N
Peach N Y N Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shadow Mario N N N Y N
Waluigi N N N Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y Y
Yoshi N Y N Y Y
Other characters, created by Camelot Software Planning, have also been playable in the Mario Golf series ever since the Nintendo 64 iteration.
[edit] Mario Hoops 3-on-3
Main article: Mario Hoops 3-on-3
[edit] Mario Kart
Main article: Mario Kart
[edit] Mario Strikers
The following list lists playable characters in alphabetical order.
Character Super Mario Strikers Mario Strikers Charged
Birdo Y Y
Boo N Y
Bowser N Y
Bowser Jr. N Y
Diddy Kong N Y
Donkey Kong Y Y
Dry Bones N Y
Hammer Brother Y Y
Koopa Troopa Y Y
Kremling Y Y
Luigi Y Y
Mario Y Y
Monty Mole N Y
Petey Piranha N Y
Princess Daisy Y Y
Princess Peach Y Y
Robo-Kremling Y N
Shy Guy N Y
Super Team Y N
Toad Y Y
Waluigi Y Y
Wario Y Y
Yoshi Y Y
[edit] Mario Tennis
Mario Tennis is a sports video game series that began in 1995 with Mario's Tennis for the Virtual Boy. In the vein of other Mario sport games, it features Mario and his all-star cast competing in a game of tennis. Since its second generation on the Nintendo 64, each successive generation features a console and a handheld version and all of them developed by Camelot Software Planning.
Games in this series include:
Mario's Tennis — (Virtual Boy, 1995)
Mario Tennis — (Nintendo 64, 2000)
Mario Tennis — (Game Boy Color, 2000)
Mario Power Tennis — (GameCube, Wii, 2004)
Mario Tennis: Power Tour — (Game Boy Advance, 2005)
The following list lists playable characters by alphabetical order.
Character Mario's
Tennis Nintendo
64 Game Boy
Color Mario Power
Tennis Power
Tour
Baby Mario N Y Y N N
Birdo N* Y N N N
Boo N Y N Y N
Bowser N Y Y Y Y
Bowser Jr. N N N Y N
Daisy N Y N Y N
Diddy Kong N N N Y N
Donkey Kong N Y Y Y Y
Donkey Kong Junior Y Y N N N
Fly Guy N N N Y N
Koopa Troopa Y N N Y N
Luigi Y Y Y Y Y
Mario Y Y Y Y Y
Paratroopa N Y N Y N
Peach Y Y Y Y Y
Petey Piranha N N N Y N
Shy Guy N Y N Y N
Toad Y Y N N N
Waluigi N Y Y Y Y
Wario N Y Y Y N
Wiggler N N N Y N
Yoshi Y Y Y Y N
Although not a playable character, Birdo did appear in the game as Yoshi's doubles partner.
Note: Donkey Kong Junior is a character that does not appear until unlocked and has full abilities in every zone, making him considered a "cheat" character. Therefore he has been banned in sanctioned play.
The GBC version also features original characters, some of which can be uploaded to the N64 version (using a Transfer Pak). The players' stats can also be uploaded to the N64 game from the GBC game. The uploadable characters are:
Alex
Harry
Nina
Kate
Other characters, NPCs from Mario Tennis (GBC) and Mario Tennis: Power Tour's story modes can be unlocked for play in exhibition matches.
This Nintendo-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
[hide]v • d • eMario sports games
Mario Golf NES Open Tournament Golf • Mario Golf (N64) • Mario Golf (GBC) • Toadstool Tour • Advance Tour
Mario Tennis Mario's Tennis • Mario Tennis (N64) • Mario Tennis (GBC) • Power Tennis • Power Tour
Mario Kart Mario Excite Bike • Famicom Grand Prix • Famicom Grand Prix II • Super Mario Kart • 64 • Super Circuit • Double Dash‼ • Arcade GP • DS • Arcade GP 2 • Wii
Mario Strikers Super Mario Strikers • Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Baseball Mario Superstar Baseball • Mario Super Sluggers
Single games Mario Hoops 3 on 3 • Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games • Dance Dance Revolution Mario Mix
Cameos Tennis • Punch-Out!! • NBA Street V3 • SSX On Tour
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports_games_in_the_Mario_series"
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edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
Categories: Disambiguation pages | Ambiguous place names
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 02:46. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
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Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
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This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
Categories: Disambiguation pages | Ambiguous place names
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
Categories: Disambiguation pages | Ambiguous place names
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
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Highband
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Superband
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Hyperband
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53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
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Ultraband
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Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
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Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
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Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
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47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
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80 559.25 563.75
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88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
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109 703.25 707.75
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111 715.25 719.75
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113 727.25 731.75
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115 739.25 743.75
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119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
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125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
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129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
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145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
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148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
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158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
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Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
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124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön Airport, an airport in Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
Mörön, Khentii, a district in Khentii province, Mongolia
Morón, Spain
Morón Air Base
Morón, Venezuela, a location in Carabobo State, Venezuela
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
NOTE: Frequencies given are for luminance carriers. For channel center frequencies, add 1.75 MHz.
Channel Video Carrier (MHz) Audio Carrier(MHz)
Subband CATV "T" Channels
T-7 7.00
T-8 13.00
T-9 19.00
T-10 25.00
T-11 31.00
T-12 37.00
T-13 43.00
T-14 49.00
Lowband
2 55.25 59.75
3 61.25 65.75
4 67.25 71.75
1 73.25 (A-8) 77.75 (A-8)
5 77.25 or 79.25 (A-7) 81.75 or 83.75 (A-7)
6 83.25 or 85.25 (A-6) 87.75 or 89.75 (A-6)
Midband
95 91.25 (A-5) 95.75
96 97.25 (A-4) 101.75
97 103.25 (A-3) 107.75
98 109.25 (A-2) 113.75
99 115.25 (A-1) 119.75
Midband
14 121.25 125.75
15 127.25 131.75
16 133.25 137.75
17 139.25 143.75
18 145.25 149.75
19 151.25 155.75
20 157.25 161.75
21 163.25 167.75
22 169.25 173.75
Highband
7 175.25 179.75
8 181.25 185.75
9 187.25 191.75
10 193.25 197.75
11 199.25 203.75
12 205.25 209.75
13 211.25 215.75
Superband
23 217.25 221.75
24 223.25 227.75
25 229.25 233.75
26 235.25 239.75
27 241.25 245.75
28 247.25 251.75
29 253.25 257.75
30 259.25 263.75
31 265.25 269.75
32 271.25 275.75
33 277.25 281.75
34 283.25 287.75
35 289.25 293.75
36 295.25 299.75
Hyperband
37 301.25 305.75
38 307.25 311.75
39 313.25 317.75
40 319.25 323.75
41 325.25 329.75
42 331.25 335.75
43 337.25 341.75
44 343.25 347.75
45 349.25 353.75
46 355.25 359.75
47 361.25 365.75
48 367.25 371.75
49 373.25 377.75
50 379.25 383.75
51 385.25 389.75
52 391.25 395.75
53 397.25 401.75
54 403.25 407.75
55 409.25 413.75
56 415.25 419.75
57 421.25 425.75
58 427.25 431.75
59 433.25 437.75
60 439.25 443.75
61 445.25 449.75
62 451.25 455.75
63 457.25 461.75
64 463.25 467.75
Ultraband
65 469.25 473.75
66 475.25 479.75
67 481.25 485.75
68 487.25 491.75
69 493.25 497.75
70 499.25 503.75
71 505.25 509.75
72 511.25 515.75
73 517.25 521.75
74 523.25 527.75
75 529.25 533.75
76 535.25 539.75
77 541.25 545.75
78 547.25 551.75
79 553.25 557.75
80 559.25 563.75
81 565.25 569.75
82 571.25 575.75
83 577.25 581.75
84 583.25 587.75
85 589.25 593.75
86 595.25 599.75
87 601.25 605.75
88 607.25 611.75
89 613.25 617.75
90 619.25 623.75
91 625.25 629.75
92 631.25 635.75
93 637.25 641.75
94 643.25 647.75
Jumboband
100 649.25 653.75
101 655.25 659.75
102 661.25 665.75
103 667.25 671.75
104 673.25 677.75
105 679.25 683.75
106 685.25 689.75
107 691.25 695.75
108 697.25 701.75
109 703.25 707.75
110 709.25 713.75
111 715.25 719.75
112 721.25 725.75
113 727.25 731.75
114 733.25 737.75
115 739.25 743.75
116 745.25 749.75
117 751.25 755.75
118 757.25 761.75
119 763.25 767.75
120 769.25 773.75
121 775.25 779.75
122 781.25 785.75
123 787.25 791.75
124 793.25 797.75
125 799.25 803.75
126 805.25 809.75
127 811.25 815.75
128 817.25 821.75
129 823.25 827.75
130 829.25 833.75
131 835.25 839.75
132 841.25 845.75
133 847.25 851.75
134 853.25 857.75
135 859.25 863.75
136 865.25 869.75
137 871.25 875.75
138 877.25 881.75
139 883.25 887.75
140 889.25 893.75
141 895.25 899.75
142 901.25 905.75
143 907.25 911.75
144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
edit] In sports and entertainment
Unión de Santa Fe, Argentine professional football club
R. Union Saint-Gilloise, Belgian professional football club
Club Atlético Unión de Sunchales, lower league Argentine football club
Unión Magdalena a Colombian professional football club
The Union (professional wrestling), a group of professional wrestlers in opposition to the Corporate Ministry in the World Wrestling Federation
Rugby Union
Union (album), a 1991 album by the musical group Yes
Union (band), an American heavy metal band
Union (comic), set in the Star Wars universe
Union of Solar Energy and Free Nations, a fictional organization in anime Mobile Suit Gundam 00
Union (comics), a character published by Wildstorm
Union (album), the self-titled 1998 debut album by Union (band)
[edit] In education
Student union, a term which can be used in either of two senses:
Students' union, a student organization at many colleges and universities dedicated to student governance
Student activity center, a building that typically hosts a "union" of student services
Union College, a college for which the principal campus sits in Schenectady, New York
Union College (Kentucky), a college in Kentucky
Union Institute & University, a non-traditional educational institution
Union Public Schools, a public school system in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Union Theological College, a college in Northern Ireland
Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York, an ecumenical Christian seminary in New York City, New York
Union Theological Seminary & Presbyterian School of Christian Education, a Christian seminary in Richmond, Virginia
Union University, a Baptist college in Tennessee
[edit] In transportation
Union Station, any of several depots at which two or more railway, subway, or bus lines merge
Union (TTC), a subway station in Toronto, named for the adjacent railway station
Union Giesserei Königsberg, a German steam locomotive works
Union Railroad, any of several railroad companies
Union (ship), a ship sunk in Fiji in 1804
[edit] In tradesmanship
Trade union, labor union, employment
Union (electrical), an electrical wiring term sometimes used for a butt connector used to splice wires
Union (hardware), a term sometimes used for a standoff (separator) that serves as an elongated nut
Union (plumbing), a pipe fitting
[edit] In mathematics and computer science
Union (set theory)
Union (SQL), an operator that combines the result of two SQL SELECT queries into a single result table
Union (computer science), a data structure that stores several types of data in the same location
Union mount, a way to access separate file system directories as if they were but one
[edit] Places
Union City (multiple)
Union County (multiple)
Union Springs (multiple)
Union Township (multiple)
United States
Union, Alabama
Union, Connecticut
Union, Illinois
Union, Iowa
Union, Kentucky
Union, Maine
Union, Mississippi
Union, Missouri
Union, Nebraska
Union, New York
Union, Ohio
Union, Oregon
Union, South Carolina
Union, West Virginia
Union, Wisconsin (multiple)
Other
Union, Elgin County, Ontario
Union, Leeds and Grenville County, Ontario
Unión, Paraguay
[edit] As a surname
Gabrielle Union, an American actress
[edit] See also
Mount Union, Iowa
Union Beach, New Jersey
Union Grove, Alabama
Union Hill, Illinois
Union Parish, Louisiana
Union Park, Florida
Uniontown (multiple)
Unionville (multiple)
West Union, Iowa
This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers stupid person
"Moron" (Sum 41 song)
"Moron" (KMFDM song)
Moron (bacteriophage), an extra gene in prophage genomes that do not have a phage function in the lysogenic cycle
In places:
Morón, Buenos Aires in Argentina
Morón Airport and Air Base, an airport in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón Partido, a county in Morón, Buenos Aires
Morón, Cuba, a city and municipality in Ciego de Ávila Province, Cuba
Moron, Grand'Anse, a municipality in Grand'Anse Department, Haiti
Mörön (city), the capital of Khövsgöl province, Mongolia
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This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moron"North America cable television broadcast band
(NTSC-based analog television)
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144 913.25 917.75
145 919.25 923.75
146 925.25 929.75
147 931.25 935.75
148 937.25 941.75
149 943.25 947.75
150 949.25 953.75
151 955.25 959.75
152 961.25 965.75
153 967.25 971.75
154 973.25 977.75
155 979.25 983.75
156 985.25 989.75
157 991.25 995.75
158 997.25 1001.75
Channels T-7 through T-14 are sub-band channels and are not used for normal television channel distribution. These channels are used for sending video back to the cable television headend, such as by public-access television stations on a cable tv system. They are also used by cable modems for sending upstream data to the headend's CMTS.
Channel 1 frequency assignments, where provided, are non-standard. If a channel 1 were inserted (A-8) between channels 4 and 5, channel 5 would need to move 2MHz off-frequency, pushing channel six 2 MHz off-frequency into spectrum needed for FM stereo radio. Any assignment placing Channel 1 in its historical location before VHF Channel 2 would also be problematic, as the last cable reverse channel (T-14) now occupies frequencies from the defunct terrestrial Channel 1. Most systems that provide a (named) "Channel 1" will therefore either alias "1" to some higher converter channel (such as 101) or to a digital virtual channel.
Cable channels 2 through 13 operate on the same frequencies as broadcast television (the VHF band). They were assigned by the FCC pursuant to NTSC. The other channels were assigned by cable television operators.
Cable channels 65 through 94 and 100 through 125 operate on approximately the same frequencies as broadcast television (the UHF band). Ultraband 65 and up will appear to be UHF TV 14 and up on most non-cable-aware analogue television receivers; as each ultraband channel is exactly 2 MHz below a standard UHF TV channel, a slight fine-tuning of mechanical UHF tuners is all that is required to shift this block squarely onto the UHF dial.
Cable channels 95 through 97 (90 - 108 MHz) operate on the same frequencies as FM radio, so cable companies offering FM radio will not show TV programming on these channels.
Cable channels 98 and 99 (A2 and A1, 108-120 MHz), if used, have appeared as channel 00 and 01 respectively on some converter boxes[1]
Digital cable channels are often numbered starting at 100 or 200, but these are virtual channel numbers and do not correspond to used frequencies.
Digital television receivers with integrated QAM tuners use ATSC conventions for numbering channels; unlabelled channels would appear as a main channel number, separated by a dot or dash, then a digital subchannel number. For instance, this may display as a physical converter channel number, a dot or dash, then a virtual channel number as it appeared on a digital cable set-top box. As there is no requirement that any specific convention be used to number digital or virtual channels, numbering is at the discretion of the cable operator.
[edit] External links
ARRL - TV Channel, CATV and FM Broadcast Frequencies by Kevin K. Custer (W3KKC)
[edit] See also
Television channel frequencies
North American broadcast television frequencies
Australasian TV frequencies
Ultra High Frequency
Very High Frequency
Channel 1
Moving image formats
Broadcast television systems
ATSC Standards
BTSC
NTSC
NTSC-J
PAL
RCA
SECAM
U.S. cable television channel frequencies
TVTower.com - Commercial Television Frequencies
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_cable_television_frequencies"
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Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
January 11, 2009 9:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Do not feed the trolls" and its abbreviation DNFTT redirect here. For the Wikipedia essay, see "What is a troll?". For other uses see Troll (disambiguation).
An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Etymology
1.1 Early history
2 Identity trolling
3 Usage
4 Concern troll
5 Parody
6 See also
7 References
8 External links
8.1 Troll FAQs
[edit] Etymology
Artist's conception of tuna trolling operation in fishing.The contemporary use of the term is alleged to have first appeared on the internet in the late 1980s[3], but the earliest known example is from 1991[4]. It is thought to be a truncation of the phrase trolling for suckers, itself derived from the fishing technique of slowly dragging a bait through water, known as trolling.[5] The word also evokes the trolls portrayed in Scandinavian folklore and children's tales as they are often obnoxious creatures bent on mischief and wickedness. The verb "troll" originates from Old French "troller", a hunting term. The noun "troll", however, is an unrelated Old Norse word for a giant or demon. [6]
[edit] Early history
Prior to DejaNews's archiving of Usenet, accounts of trolling were sketchy, there being little evidence to sort through. After that time, however, the huge archives were available for researchers. The most likely derivation of the word troll can be found in the phrase "trolling for newbies," popularized in the early 1990s in the Usenet group, alt.folklore.urban (AFU).[7][8] Commonly, what is meant is a relatively gentle inside joke by veteran users, presenting questions or topics that had been so overdone that only a new user would respond to them earnestly. For example, a veteran of the group might make a post on the common misconception that glass flows over time. Long-time readers would both recognize the poster's name and know that the topic had been done to death already, but new subscribers to the group would not realise, and would thus respond. These types of trolls served as a Shibboleth to identify group insiders. This definition of trolling, considerably narrower than the modern understanding of the term, was considered a positive contribution.[9][7] One of the most notorious AFU trollers, Snopes,[7] went on to create his eponymous urban folklore website.
By the late 1990s, alt.folklore.urban had such heavy traffic and participation that trolling of this sort was frowned upon. Others expanded the term to include the practice of playing a seriously misinformed or deluded user, even in newsgroups where one was not a regular; these were often attempts at humor rather than provocation. In such contexts, the noun troll usually referred to an act of trolling, rather than to the author.
[edit] Identity trolling
In academic literature, the practice was first documented by Judith Donath (1999), who used several anecdotal examples from various Usenet newsgroups in her discussion. Donath's paper outlines the ambiguity of identity in a disembodied "virtual community":[10]
In the physical world there is an inherent unity to the self, for the body provides a compelling and convenient definition of identity. The norm is: one body, one identity. ... The virtual world is different. It is composed of information rather than matter.
Donath provides a concise overview of identity deception games which trade on the confusion between physical and epistemic community:
Trolling is a game about identity deception, albeit one that is played without the consent of most of the players. The troll attempts to pass as a legitimate participant, sharing the group's common interests and concerns; the newsgroups members, if they are cognizant of trolls and other identity deceptions, attempt to both distinguish real from trolling postings, and upon judging a poster a troll, make the offending poster leave the group. Their success at the former depends on how well they — and the troll — understand identity cues; their success at the latter depends on whether the troll's enjoyment is sufficiently diminished or outweighed by the costs imposed by the group.
Trolls can be costly in several ways. A troll can disrupt the discussion on a newsgroup, disseminate bad advice, and damage the feeling of trust in the newsgroup community. Furthermore, in a group that has become sensitized to trolling — where the rate of deception is high — many honestly naïve questions may be quickly rejected as trollings. This can be quite off-putting to the new user who upon venturing a first posting is immediately bombarded with angry accusations. Even if the accusation is unfounded, being branded a troll is quite damaging to one's online reputation." (Donath, 1999, p. 45)[1]
[edit] Usage
Application of the term troll is highly subjective. Some readers may characterize a post as trolling, while others may regard the same post as a legitimate contribution to the discussion, even if controversial. The term is often used to discredit an opposing position, or its proponent, by argument fallacy ad hominem.
Often, calling someone a troll makes assumptions about a writer's motives. Regardless of the circumstances, controversial posts may attract a particularly strong response from those unfamiliar with the robust dialogue found in some online, rather than physical, communities. Experienced participants in online forums know that the most effective way to discourage a troll is usually to ignore him or her, because responding tends to encourage trolls to continue disruptive posts — hence the often-seen warning: "Please do not feed the trolls".[11]
Frequently, someone who has been labelled a troll by a group may seek to redeem their reputation by discrediting their opponents, for example by claiming that other members of the group are closed-minded, conspirators, or trolls themselves.
[edit] Concern troll
A concern troll is a false flag pseudonym created by a user whose actual point of view is opposed to the one that the user's sockpuppet claims to hold. The concern troll posts in web forums devoted to its declared point of view and attempts to sway the group's actions or opinions while claiming to share their goals, but with professed "concerns". The goal is to sow fear, uncertainty and doubt within the group.[12]
For example, in 2006 Tad Furtado, a top staffer for then-Congressman Charlie Bass (R-NH), was caught posing as a "concerned" supporter of Bass's opponent, Democrat Paul Hodes, on several liberal New Hampshire blogs, using the pseudonyms "IndieNH" or "IndyNH." "IndyNH" expressed concern that Democrats might just be wasting their time or money on Hodes, because Bass was unbeatable.[13]
A recently declassified World War II manual on sabotage recommends such techniques to derail any effective action: "Advocate 'caution.' Be 'reasonable' and urge your fellow-conferees to be 'reasonable' and avoid haste which might result in embarrassments or difficulties later on... Be worried about the propriety of any decision — raise the question of whether such action as is contemplated lies within the jurisdiction of the group or whether it might conflict with the policy of some higher echelon." [14]
Although the term "concern troll" originated in discussions of online behavior, it now sees increasing use to describe similar behaviors that take place offline.
For example, James Wolcott in Vanity Fair[15] accused a conservative New York Daily News columnist of "concern troll" behavior in his efforts to downplay the Mark Foley scandal. Wolcott links what he calls concern trolls to Saul Alinsky's "Do-Nothings," giving a long quote from Alinsky on the Do-Nothing's method and effects:
These Do-Nothings profess a commitment to social change for ideals of justice, equality, and opportunity, and then abstain from and discourage all effective action for change. They are known by their brand, 'I agree with your ends but not your means.'
In a more recent example, The Hill published an op-ed piece titled "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'." Again, the concern trolls in question were not Internet participants; they were Republicans offering public advice and warnings to the Democrats. The author defines "concern trolling" as "offering a poisoned apple in the form of advice to political opponents that, if taken, would harm the recipient."[16]
[edit] Parody
A monster in the Munchkin card game is named the Net Troll. It is described as having "no special powers, and is really mad about it."
[edit] See also
Astroturfing
Baiting (trolling)
Blogger's Code of Conduct
Breaching experiment
Encyclopedia Dramatica
Forumwarz
Gadfly (social)
Griefer
Hit-and-run posting
Lurker
Ostracism
Schadenfreude
Sockpuppet (Internet)
Virtual community
[edit] References
^ trolling definition from PC Magazine Retrieved on 28 May 2007.
^ "What is a troll?" - Indiana University Knowledge Base
^ Schwartz, Mattathias (2008-08-03). "The Trolls Among Us", New York Times. Retrieved on 1 August 2008.
^ Oxford English Dictionary Online s.v. TROLL n.(1) and TROLL v., both added in June 2006
^ Usenet Newsgroup misc.invest.options 1997
^ Etymology online dictionary
^ a b c See Michele Tepper, "Usenet Communities and the Cultural Politics of Information" in David Porter, ed., Internet Culture (1997) at 48 ("[T]he two most notorious trollers in AFU, Ted Frank and snopes, are also two of the most consistent posters of serious research.").
^ One early reference to troll found in the Google Usenet archive was by user "Mark Miller," directed toward the user "Tad," on February 8, 1990, saying "Just go die in your sleep you mindless flatulent troll." However, it is unclear if this instance represents a usage of "troll" as it is known today, or if it was simply a chance choice of epithet.
^ Cecil Adams (2000-05-14). "The Straight Dope". Retrieved on 2007-08-26. "To be fair, not all trolls are slimeballs. On some message boards, veteran posters with a mischievous bent occasionally go "newbie trolling."
^ Identity and Deception in the Virtual Community
^ Example of a warning to blog participants about trolls: "do not feed the trolls." golo historians_13th's blog. Retrieved on: April 10, 2008.
^ Cox, Ana Marie (2006-12-16). "Making Mischief on the Web", Time. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ Saunders, Anne (2006-09-26). "Bass aide resigns after posing as opponent's supporter online", Boston Globe, Associated Press. Retrieved on 30 March 2007.
^ OSS Simple Sabotage Manual, pdf
^ Wolcott, James (2006-10-08). "Political Pieties From a Post-Nasal Drip", Vanity Fair. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
^ Moulitsas, Markos (2008-01-09). "Dems: Ignore 'Concern Trolls'.", The Hill. Retrieved on 26 May 2008.
[edit] External links
Look up troll in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Trolls (Internet)
This article or section may contain an excessive number of external links.
Please improve this article by incorporating them into the appropriate end section, or by converting them to inline citations. (September 2008)
Unconventional approach of feeding trolls, not killing them by Henk van Ess
Article on trolls and the 'art' of trolling by Steve Myers
Adequacy.org: Archive of Adequacy.org, a troll site.
What is a troll? from the Straight Dope
Trolling lore and essays
Searching for Safety Online: Managing "Trolling" in a Feminist Forum
Make Something Happen talks with a troll
Best guide to the various types of trolls
Ubuntu Forums guide to types of trolls
Interview with a self-proclaimed Troll by Lord M'Deentor
Archive of internet trolls
Malwebolence - The World of Web Trolling; New York Times Magazine, By Mattathias Schwartz; August 3, 2008.
[edit] Troll FAQs
urban75 Trolling FAQ: Comprehensive guide to the dark art of trolling
alt.troll FAQ (how-to)
alt.syntax.tactical FAQ
False repentance at MeatballWiki
The relationship between social context cues and uninhibited verbal behavior in computer-mediated communication
Moral panic and alternative identity construction in Usenet
Giveen's Guide To Internet Trolls
[show]v • d • eAnonymous and the Internet
Internet portal
Related websites 420chan · 4chan · Encyclopedia Dramatica · Something Awful · YouTube
Topics eBaum's World · Epilepsy Forums · Habbo Hotel · Scientology · Project Chanology · Hal Turner
Terms Griefer · Internet vigilantism · Lurker · Streisand effect · Troll
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_(Internet)"
Categories: Internet terminology | Internet forum terminology | Internet trolling | Popular psychology | Internet slang
Hidden categories: Wikipedia pages move-protected due to vandalism | Wikipedia external links cleanupViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 11:39. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
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An Internet troll, or simply troll in Internet slang, is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.[2]
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1 Etymology
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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... that Anthony, Charles, Cecilia, Isabella, Sr., Isabella, Jr., Esther, Elizabeth, and Polly Young were part of an English family of musicians that included several professional singers and organists in the 17th and 18th centuries?
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Barack Obama (pictured) is inaugurated as the forty-fourth President of the United States.
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Computer worm Conficker infects nearly 9 million Microsoft Windows-based personal computers.
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China surpasses Germany to become the world's third-largest economy, based on revised 2007 GDP figures.
The ferry MV Teratai Prima capsizes and sinks off the coast of Sulawesi, Indonesia, killing more than 200 people.
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304 – Saint Agnes was executed for refusing the prefect Sempronius' wish for her to marry his son. She is today the patron saint of girls, chastity, virgins, and others.
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1948 – The Flag of Quebec, featuring a white cross and four fleurs-de-lis on a blue field, was adopted and flown for the first time over the Quebec Parliament Building in Quebec City.
1968 – Vietnam War: The Vietnam People's Army attacked Khe Sanh Combat Base, a U.S. Marines outpost in Quang Tri Province, South Vietnam, starting the Battle of Khe Sanh.
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A newsreel briefly summarizing the end of the Adolf Eichmann trial, noting that the Israeli court found him guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes and that he was to be hanged. Eichmann, a former Nazi SS officer, was kidnapped by Israeli agents from Argentina in 1960 and flown to Israel to stand trial for his role. The trial is widely credited for having establishing the Holocaust as an independent event that occurred concurrently with World War II.
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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January 20, 2009 8:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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It's no secret that the U.S. economy is experiencing labor pains--unemployment figures continue to rise. Believe it or not, some U.S. workers are still getting hired, especially in the health care professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) identifies the health care industry as the largest single sector to create new jobs, but fast-growing, well-paying occupations will spring up in technology, education, and business, too.
Here are seven professions worth watching in 2009, the education you'll need to secure a job in them, and the earnings you might expect.
Network Systems and
Data Communications Professionals
The BLS cites this professional niche as the single-fastest-rising occupation over the next five years, with a whopping 53 percent increase in overall jobs during the 2006-2016 decade. You can enter the profession with an associate's degree, but employers will really be looking at graduates of bachelor's degree or post-graduate technology programs in network administration. The pay is good, too, according to the BLS, with earnings ranging from $40,000 to more than $105,000 in 2007.
Personal Financial Advisors
Financial advisors work for lending institutions, banks, corporations, insurance companies, or as personal investment mentors for individuals. While the current economy seems tumultuous, it won't necessarily affect hiring as the country works its way back to prosperity. That may be why these professionals rank sixth on the BLS' top-30 fastest-growing occupations list, with a projected 37 percent increase in jobs through the decade. Start your career with as little as an associate's degree, but rise in earnings by completing a bachelor's degree or MBA. Top earners in 2007 had six-figure incomes.
Dental Hygienists
Dental hygienists keep popping up in articles on promising careers--and with good reason. They hold 17th place on the BLS top-30 list, and are consistently among the highest-paying careers for people who have earned only an associate's degree. Some classes are offered online. The BLS projects an outstanding 30 percent increase in new jobs through 2016, so if you start now, you'll be well situated upon graduation. The median annual wage for hygienists in 2007 was $64,740, but top earners take home nearly $90,000.
Computer Software Engineers
Computer software engineers ranked 25th on the BLS forecast, meaning this part of the high-tech sector is destined for success. The field will increase jobs by more than 28 percent through 2016. And you can get a foot in the door by completing a campus-based or online bachelor's degree. Specialize in applications or systems software. In 2007, the median wage for applications software engineers was $83,130, with top salaries beyond $125,000.
Physical Therapists
The BLS predicts outstanding job growth for physical therapists over the next five years, wrapping up a tidy 37 percent increase over the 2006-2016 decade. You'll need to complete a master's degree program to work in this field, but you'll find plenty of opportunities. Physical therapists ranked 28th on the list of 30. Earnings are attractive, too, with the median 2007 wage reported at $69,760 and top earnings over $100,000.
Mental Health Counselors
Mental health counselors placed 18th on the list, just after dental hygienists, with new jobs projected at a 21-percent increase, 2006-2016. You'll need a graduate degree for this field, but is the fastest-growing profession requiring one. According to the BLS, the 2007 median annual wage for marriage and family counselors was $43,600.
Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
Americans rely on qualified professionals to offer health care for their pets, their income-producing animals, and for animals that perform for the public at-large. The BLS ranks veterinary techs and technologists as the fifth fastest-growing career group in the land between 2006 and 2016, with a projected 41 percent increase in new jobs. If you're starting out, there are career training programs at the associate's or bachelor's degree levels with online components that can get you going immediately. Techs don't necessarily earn a fortune--top wages in 2007 averaged around $40,550--but for many, the opportunity to work with animals makes this work all the more attractive.
It's a new year, along with new leadership in Washington and a new set of vexing problems for business and government to tackle. You can play a part in the future by enrolling in career training now for the most-promising occupations through the end of the decade.
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Anonymous said...
Ants are social insects of the family Formicidae and, along with the related families of wasps and bees, belong to the order Hymenoptera. Ants evolved from wasp-like ancestors in the mid-Cretaceous period between 110 and 130 million years ago and diversified after the rise of flowering plants. Today, more than 12,000 species are classified with upper estimates of about 14,000 species. They are easily identified by their elbowed antennae and a distinctive node-like structure that forms a slender waist. Ants form colonies that range in size from a few tens of predatory individuals living in small natural cavities to highly organised colonies which may occupy large territories and consist of millions of individuals that are mostly sterile females forming castes of "workers", "soldiers", or other specialised groups. Ant colonies also have some fertile males called "drones" and one or more fertile females called "queens". Ants have colonised almost every landmass on Earth. Ants dominate most ecosystems, and form 15–20% of the terrestrial animal biomass. Their success has been attributed to their social organisation, ability to modify their habitats, tap resources and defend themselves. (more...)
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INTERNET TROLL SAY'S
THIS BLOG SUCKS
FIND SOMETHING MORE CONSTRUCTIVE TO DO WITH YOUR TIME UNION THUGS
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Fillibuster all you want.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Our metal is being tested.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one wHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more gamesHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
as never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AMsup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
.
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one wHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more gamesHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
as never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AMsup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
.
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one wHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more gamesHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
as never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AMsup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
.
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one wHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more gamesHey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
as never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AMsup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
«Oldest ‹Older 401 – 427 of 427 Newer› Newest»
Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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Post Away and Speak Freely.The Union Believes You Have The Right To Have An Open And Honest Discussion, And We Are Aware That Employers Sometimes Wish To Deny That Right. This Is Your Opportunity To Discuss Your Workplace Issues.
Please do not use names as post will be deleted.
posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Forming a union is like many things in life it will take effort and faith in your self.
100 points a day.
Hard to do quality work and pass QCs to get carrier path raises.
The deck is stacked against us all the way.
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Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a twelve-step program for sex addicts. SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what was provided in other twelve step programs for sex addicts. SAA is open to anyone who desires to stop addictive sexual behavior, and is safe for heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals.[1] In the same way that Al-Anon is a counterpart to Alcoholics Anonymous, COSA, is a counterpart to SAA.[2]
SAA screens new members before giving them meetings times or locations, this is commonly called "12th Stepping." There is a specific questionnaire used in this process to determine if a potential member is likely a sex addict.[3] This questionnaire, with slight modifications so that it could be used experimentally, was able to correctly differentiate self-identified sex addicts and court-determined sex offenders from a control group. When completing the questionnaire males more often perceive themselves as sexually compulsive, but score lower (show less signs of sexual addiction), on average, than females.[4]
In SAA each member creates a unique definition of "sexual sobriety" based on abstaining from a personalized list of compulsive sexual behaviors. Members are encouraged to respect each other's definitions of sobriety. Many SAA members use a "three circle" concept to model their behaviors. The inner circle represents the compulsive sexual behaviors that must not be practiced. Inner circle behaviors might include having sex with a prostitute, or acting out with a nonconsensual victim. The outer circle includes sexual and nonsexual behaviors that are definitely healthy. Outer circle behaviors might include sex with a partner in a monogamous relationship or getting eight hours of sleep a night. In the middle circle are behaviors that are not considered a relapse (inner circle behaviors), but could quickly lead to one if left unchecked. Middle circle behaviors might include looking for a prostitute or contacting an old acting out partner.[1]
In addition to regular meetings SAA also organizes "boundary meetings." These are special meetings for professional caregivers such as medical doctors, psychotherapists, and clergy who need to attend meetings separate from clients, patients, and parishioners.[5]
SAA members are likely to have a history of sexual abuse during their childhood, and more substance abuse problems than control groups.[6][7] SAA publishes the book Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. It is used as approved literature within the organization.[8]
[edit] See also
List of twelve-step groups
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
[edit] References
^ a b Parker, Jan; Guest, Diana (2002). "Chapter 8: Integration of Psychotherapy and 12-Step Programs". in Adams, Kenneth; Carnes, Patrick J.. Clinical Management of Sex Addiction. New York: Psychology Press. pp. 115-124. ISBN 1583913610. OCLC 49312705.
^ COSA (2007-12-08). "Welcome to COSA". Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2007-01-25). "12 Questions".
^ Mercer, Jeffery T. (1998). "Assessment of The Sex Addicts Anonymous Questionnaire: Differentiating Between The General Population, Sex Addicts, and Sex Offenders". Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 5: 107–117. doi:10.1080/10720169808400153. ISSN 1072-0162. OCLC 28832950.
^ Birchard, Thaddeus (2004). "'The snake and the seraph' - sexual addiction and religious behavior". Counselling Psychology Quarterly 17 (1): 81–88. doi:10.1080/09515070410001665703. ISSN 0951-5070. OCLC 18582175.
^ Hunter, Mic (1990). "Chapter 4: Life Areas Affected by Childhood Sexual Abuse". Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. pp. 59-92. ISBN 0669208663. OCLC 246877991.
^ Plant, Moira; Miller, Patrick; Plant, Marting (2004). "Childhood and Adult Sexual Abuse: Relationships with Alcohol and other Psychoactive Drug Use". Child Abuse Review 13: 200–214. doi:10.1002/car.845. ISSN 1099-0852.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2005). Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. International Service Organization of SAA. ISBN 0976831317. OCLC 247995491.
[edit] External links
Sex Addicts Anonymous
COSA
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Addicts_Anonymous"
Categories: Human sexuality organizations | Twelve-step programs | Non-profit organizations based in Texas | Organizations established in 1977 | International non-profit organizationsViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
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Cite this page
This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 22:56. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a twelve-step program for sex addicts. SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what was provided in other twelve step programs for sex addicts. SAA is open to anyone who desires to stop addictive sexual behavior, and is safe for heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals.[1] In the same way that Al-Anon is a counterpart to Alcoholics Anonymous, COSA, is a counterpart to SAA.[2]
SAA screens new members before giving them meetings times or locations, this is commonly called "12th Stepping." There is a specific questionnaire used in this process to determine if a potential member is likely a sex addict.[3] This questionnaire, with slight modifications so that it could be used experimentally, was able to correctly differentiate self-identified sex addicts and court-determined sex offenders from a control group. When completing the questionnaire males more often perceive themselves as sexually compulsive, but score lower (show less signs of sexual addiction), on average, than females.[4]
In SAA each member creates a unique definition of "sexual sobriety" based on abstaining from a personalized list of compulsive sexual behaviors. Members are encouraged to respect each other's definitions of sobriety. Many SAA members use a "three circle" concept to model their behaviors. The inner circle represents the compulsive sexual behaviors that must not be practiced. Inner circle behaviors might include having sex with a prostitute, or acting out with a nonconsensual victim. The outer circle includes sexual and nonsexual behaviors that are definitely healthy. Outer circle behaviors might include sex with a partner in a monogamous relationship or getting eight hours of sleep a night. In the middle circle are behaviors that are not considered a relapse (inner circle behaviors), but could quickly lead to one if left unchecked. Middle circle behaviors might include looking for a prostitute or contacting an old acting out partner.[1]
In addition to regular meetings SAA also organizes "boundary meetings." These are special meetings for professional caregivers such as medical doctors, psychotherapists, and clergy who need to attend meetings separate from clients, patients, and parishioners.[5]
SAA members are likely to have a history of sexual abuse during their childhood, and more substance abuse problems than control groups.[6][7] SAA publishes the book Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. It is used as approved literature within the organization.[8]
[edit] See also
List of twelve-step groups
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
[edit] References
^ a b Parker, Jan; Guest, Diana (2002). "Chapter 8: Integration of Psychotherapy and 12-Step Programs". in Adams, Kenneth; Carnes, Patrick J.. Clinical Management of Sex Addiction. New York: Psychology Press. pp. 115-124. ISBN 1583913610. OCLC 49312705.
^ COSA (2007-12-08). "Welcome to COSA". Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2007-01-25). "12 Questions".
^ Mercer, Jeffery T. (1998). "Assessment of The Sex Addicts Anonymous Questionnaire: Differentiating Between The General Population, Sex Addicts, and Sex Offenders". Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 5: 107–117. doi:10.1080/10720169808400153. ISSN 1072-0162. OCLC 28832950.
^ Birchard, Thaddeus (2004). "'The snake and the seraph' - sexual addiction and religious behavior". Counselling Psychology Quarterly 17 (1): 81–88. doi:10.1080/09515070410001665703. ISSN 0951-5070. OCLC 18582175.
^ Hunter, Mic (1990). "Chapter 4: Life Areas Affected by Childhood Sexual Abuse". Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. pp. 59-92. ISBN 0669208663. OCLC 246877991.
^ Plant, Moira; Miller, Patrick; Plant, Marting (2004). "Childhood and Adult Sexual Abuse: Relationships with Alcohol and other Psychoactive Drug Use". Child Abuse Review 13: 200–214. doi:10.1002/car.845. ISSN 1099-0852.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2005). Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. International Service Organization of SAA. ISBN 0976831317. OCLC 247995491.
[edit] External links
Sex Addicts Anonymous
COSA
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Addicts_Anonymous"
Categories: Human sexuality organizations | Twelve-step programs | Non-profit organizations based in Texas | Organizations established in 1977 | International non-profit organizationsViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 22:56. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a twelve-step program for sex addicts. SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what was provided in other twelve step programs for sex addicts. SAA is open to anyone who desires to stop addictive sexual behavior, and is safe for heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals.[1] In the same way that Al-Anon is a counterpart to Alcoholics Anonymous, COSA, is a counterpart to SAA.[2]
SAA screens new members before giving them meetings times or locations, this is commonly called "12th Stepping." There is a specific questionnaire used in this process to determine if a potential member is likely a sex addict.[3] This questionnaire, with slight modifications so that it could be used experimentally, was able to correctly differentiate self-identified sex addicts and court-determined sex offenders from a control group. When completing the questionnaire males more often perceive themselves as sexually compulsive, but score lower (show less signs of sexual addiction), on average, than females.[4]
In SAA each member creates a unique definition of "sexual sobriety" based on abstaining from a personalized list of compulsive sexual behaviors. Members are encouraged to respect each other's definitions of sobriety. Many SAA members use a "three circle" concept to model their behaviors. The inner circle represents the compulsive sexual behaviors that must not be practiced. Inner circle behaviors might include having sex with a prostitute, or acting out with a nonconsensual victim. The outer circle includes sexual and nonsexual behaviors that are definitely healthy. Outer circle behaviors might include sex with a partner in a monogamous relationship or getting eight hours of sleep a night. In the middle circle are behaviors that are not considered a relapse (inner circle behaviors), but could quickly lead to one if left unchecked. Middle circle behaviors might include looking for a prostitute or contacting an old acting out partner.[1]
In addition to regular meetings SAA also organizes "boundary meetings." These are special meetings for professional caregivers such as medical doctors, psychotherapists, and clergy who need to attend meetings separate from clients, patients, and parishioners.[5]
SAA members are likely to have a history of sexual abuse during their childhood, and more substance abuse problems than control groups.[6][7] SAA publishes the book Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. It is used as approved literature within the organization.[8]
[edit] See also
List of twelve-step groups
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
[edit] References
^ a b Parker, Jan; Guest, Diana (2002). "Chapter 8: Integration of Psychotherapy and 12-Step Programs". in Adams, Kenneth; Carnes, Patrick J.. Clinical Management of Sex Addiction. New York: Psychology Press. pp. 115-124. ISBN 1583913610. OCLC 49312705.
^ COSA (2007-12-08). "Welcome to COSA". Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2007-01-25). "12 Questions".
^ Mercer, Jeffery T. (1998). "Assessment of The Sex Addicts Anonymous Questionnaire: Differentiating Between The General Population, Sex Addicts, and Sex Offenders". Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 5: 107–117. doi:10.1080/10720169808400153. ISSN 1072-0162. OCLC 28832950.
^ Birchard, Thaddeus (2004). "'The snake and the seraph' - sexual addiction and religious behavior". Counselling Psychology Quarterly 17 (1): 81–88. doi:10.1080/09515070410001665703. ISSN 0951-5070. OCLC 18582175.
^ Hunter, Mic (1990). "Chapter 4: Life Areas Affected by Childhood Sexual Abuse". Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. pp. 59-92. ISBN 0669208663. OCLC 246877991.
^ Plant, Moira; Miller, Patrick; Plant, Marting (2004). "Childhood and Adult Sexual Abuse: Relationships with Alcohol and other Psychoactive Drug Use". Child Abuse Review 13: 200–214. doi:10.1002/car.845. ISSN 1099-0852.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2005). Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. International Service Organization of SAA. ISBN 0976831317. OCLC 247995491.
[edit] External links
Sex Addicts Anonymous
COSA
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Addicts_Anonymous"
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This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 22:56. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers Sex Addicts Anonymous (SAA) is a twelve-step program for sex addicts. SAA was founded in 1977 by several men who wanted a greater sense of anonymity than what was provided in other twelve step programs for sex addicts. SAA is open to anyone who desires to stop addictive sexual behavior, and is safe for heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals.[1] In the same way that Al-Anon is a counterpart to Alcoholics Anonymous, COSA, is a counterpart to SAA.[2]
SAA screens new members before giving them meetings times or locations, this is commonly called "12th Stepping." There is a specific questionnaire used in this process to determine if a potential member is likely a sex addict.[3] This questionnaire, with slight modifications so that it could be used experimentally, was able to correctly differentiate self-identified sex addicts and court-determined sex offenders from a control group. When completing the questionnaire males more often perceive themselves as sexually compulsive, but score lower (show less signs of sexual addiction), on average, than females.[4]
In SAA each member creates a unique definition of "sexual sobriety" based on abstaining from a personalized list of compulsive sexual behaviors. Members are encouraged to respect each other's definitions of sobriety. Many SAA members use a "three circle" concept to model their behaviors. The inner circle represents the compulsive sexual behaviors that must not be practiced. Inner circle behaviors might include having sex with a prostitute, or acting out with a nonconsensual victim. The outer circle includes sexual and nonsexual behaviors that are definitely healthy. Outer circle behaviors might include sex with a partner in a monogamous relationship or getting eight hours of sleep a night. In the middle circle are behaviors that are not considered a relapse (inner circle behaviors), but could quickly lead to one if left unchecked. Middle circle behaviors might include looking for a prostitute or contacting an old acting out partner.[1]
In addition to regular meetings SAA also organizes "boundary meetings." These are special meetings for professional caregivers such as medical doctors, psychotherapists, and clergy who need to attend meetings separate from clients, patients, and parishioners.[5]
SAA members are likely to have a history of sexual abuse during their childhood, and more substance abuse problems than control groups.[6][7] SAA publishes the book Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. It is used as approved literature within the organization.[8]
[edit] See also
List of twelve-step groups
Sexaholics Anonymous
Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous
Sexual Compulsives Anonymous
[edit] References
^ a b Parker, Jan; Guest, Diana (2002). "Chapter 8: Integration of Psychotherapy and 12-Step Programs". in Adams, Kenneth; Carnes, Patrick J.. Clinical Management of Sex Addiction. New York: Psychology Press. pp. 115-124. ISBN 1583913610. OCLC 49312705.
^ COSA (2007-12-08). "Welcome to COSA". Retrieved on 2007-12-23.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2007-01-25). "12 Questions".
^ Mercer, Jeffery T. (1998). "Assessment of The Sex Addicts Anonymous Questionnaire: Differentiating Between The General Population, Sex Addicts, and Sex Offenders". Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity 5: 107–117. doi:10.1080/10720169808400153. ISSN 1072-0162. OCLC 28832950.
^ Birchard, Thaddeus (2004). "'The snake and the seraph' - sexual addiction and religious behavior". Counselling Psychology Quarterly 17 (1): 81–88. doi:10.1080/09515070410001665703. ISSN 0951-5070. OCLC 18582175.
^ Hunter, Mic (1990). "Chapter 4: Life Areas Affected by Childhood Sexual Abuse". Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims of Sexual Abuse. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books. pp. 59-92. ISBN 0669208663. OCLC 246877991.
^ Plant, Moira; Miller, Patrick; Plant, Marting (2004). "Childhood and Adult Sexual Abuse: Relationships with Alcohol and other Psychoactive Drug Use". Child Abuse Review 13: 200–214. doi:10.1002/car.845. ISSN 1099-0852.
^ Sex Addicts Anonymous (2005). Sex Addicts Anonymous: From Shame to Grace. International Service Organization of SAA. ISBN 0976831317. OCLC 247995491.
[edit] External links
Sex Addicts Anonymous
COSA
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sex_Addicts_Anonymous"
Categories: Human sexuality organizations | Twelve-step programs | Non-profit organizations based in Texas | Organizations established in 1977 | International non-profit organizationsViewsArticle Discussion Edit this page History Personal toolsLog in / create account Navigation
Main page
Contents
Featured content
Current events
Random article
Search
Interaction
About Wikipedia
Community portal
Recent changes
Contact Wikipedia
Donate to Wikipedia
Help
Toolbox
What links here
Related changes
Upload file
Special pages
Printable version
Permanent link
Cite this page
This page was last modified on 11 January 2009, at 22:56. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.)
Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) tax-deductible nonprofit charity.
Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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Anger Management: Are You Able To Say Both Yes! And No! ?
I hear from many people that they see ever increasing expressions of anger in their everyday life. Understanding the process of anger is an important topic for all of us to take a closer look at.
If you take the time to delve deeper into your own anger, or resentment, you will often find that you are seriously limiting your ability to feel and express the full range of your emotions. In the process of limiting yourself, you become the victim of your emotions. You might be angry because you feel that someone else should be punished, but in the long run your anger will wind up punishing yourself. You might wind up resenting the way you are treated by others, but if you take a look you will usually find that your resentment limits your ability to feel happy in a more general sense.
If you feel stuck in a situation where you can only say "Yes" then your response will not come from your heart, and your response will not be supported by the emotions your body generates. When you feel unable to say "No" then you will likely find that no matter what you say verbally, "No" becomes the default response you want to give to others. You will likely find yourself even more frustrated as you understand on an emotional level that you are never sharing your true feelings. When you are able to speak the truth of both your "Yes" and "No" in a calm manner, you will find that you experience a sense of emotional freedom and well-being.
When it is all said and done, when we delve deeply into our emotions, we almost always find that our strongest and most habitual response is covering up other feelings that we are not fully aware of. We feel hurt, disrespected, abandoned, or sad, and we cover over these feelings and lose touch with them, by expressing anger or resentment instead.
When we find ways to tap into our deeper emotions we invariably find that we have been neglecting some form of pain or discomfort. When we neglect or simply don't notice our deeper emotional reactions, we lose the ability to express our full range of emotions. In the process we find that by consistently expressing only one segment of our entire emotional range, we limit our ability to be happy and feel at ease within ourselves and with those that we interact with.
It is important to remember that our emotions emanate from the body. When you are feeling angry, your body generates a specific set of reactions that inform your rational mind of your emotional experience. When you are feeling respected or loved your body generates a very different set of reactions. With Seishindo and other disciplines you can explore the process of how your body generates your emotional state and you can come to understand how at times you say one thing with your body and something rather different with your words. You can come to understand how you wind up confusing yourself when you say one thing with your heart and another with your logical mind. If you do wind up confusing yourself on a regular basis, you will find that your overall health and vitality suffer in the process.
Only when you feel like you have the right to say "No" can you truly engage your heart in saying "Yes." Only when your body and your rational mind communicate the same message in a congruent manner, will you find yourself feeling empowered and at ease. Take the time to gently explore your feelings and you will find that your emotional well-being resides deep inside yourself, waiting to be touched and acknowledged.
Charlie Badenhop is the originator of Seishindo, an Aikido instructor, NLP trainer, and Ericksonian Hypnotherapist. Benefit from his thought-provoking ideas and a new self-help Practice every two weeks, by joining 7,000 subscribers to his complimentary newsletter devoted to Seishindo Somatic Life Coaching. You are also invited to learn more about the Seishindo approach to Anger Management issues, which draws from the wisdom of Aikido as well as scientific research. Participating in Charlie's on Anger Management Workshop can help you adopt the wisdom of Aikido to achieve a peaceful victory over anger. © Charlie Badenhop, 2005. You have permission to publish this article electronically free of charge, as long as the bylines with the active links are included and you don't sell the article to others.
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Welcome to Maine Sex Offender Registry Online Search Service
The Sex Offender Registry Web Site is maintained by the Maine State Police, State Bureau of Identification and is intended to provide the public information concerning the location of registered offenders currently within Maine. To learn more about what information will be provided, please read the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ).
The Registry does not contain information on all individuals that have been convicted of a sex crime. Information is only provided for those individuals that are required to register pursuant to Title 34-A MRSA, Chapter 15. Registration is limited to those individuals sentenced for a requisite offense on or after January 1, 1982.
The registration information contained on this web site will be updated on a daily basis to reflect the most current information on file with the State Bureau of Identification. The date of the last update is displayed on each page. Registrants are required to verify their address on a periodic basis and upon a change of address. The date of the last address verification is indicated next to the registrant’s address. Registrants may, however, have moved and failed to notify the State Bureau of Identification of their change of address. Therefore the State Bureau of Identification can not guarantee the accuracy of the listed address. Should you believe that the information contained in the Registry is not accurate please contact the Registry via e-mail or contact the Registry office at 207-624-7270 between the hours of 8 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday.
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GET STARTED NOW:
We can take the same path that others have taken and end up the same way. [poor treatment on the job and retire into poverty].
Or we can take the road less traveled.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
brent marr
423-2998
August 27, 2008 9:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Dearest Brent,
While we all enjoy our free cable, I kindly ask that you view the entire spectrum of viewing possibilities. X-Files was a great show, and I personally thought Schully was a looker and a half, but the conspiracy theories were just a plot in an overly dramatic series. Everybody is not out to get us man. Why don't you just relax, sit back, and realize that we are treated quite well.
If its that obvious how awful the conspirators in the Ivory Tower really are, and they exposed themselves for the villainous liars you portray them as ... why are you still here? I'd imagine its because you do take pride in your work, you enjoy the company of those you work with, and you really do care about all of us on some level.
What I'd like you to realize is that many changes have come since 2001, its a different company. And that's not just figuritive either, it really has become a new company. I have a career path, I have a raise. I am making money that is proportionate to the work that I do.
I have a feeling a reason many of the long time employees push for a Union so earnestly is because of the way your job is secured. They have been here a long time and make a wage that's disproportionate to the work that they do. The values do not add up from a bean counting standpoint. If the economy continues this faceplant, which it will, then they will be the most probable candidates for a lay off. In a Union it is based entirely on seniority.
I understand its a hard place to be Brent, and I truly do feel for you. But in the end, a Union will not help the majority of our co-workers. I do thank you for your spirit and pride, but in the end it just wasn't meant to be.
Thanks,
The Management.
August 27, 2008 5:39 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog. said...
What happened to the 500+ posts? Instead of just editing the posts that I complained about because of name dropping and inflammatory comments, the website (union) deleted them all!
Is that the kind of communication you pro guys want?
Only hear what you want to hear? Sad, sad, sad.
Once a pro, now a NO! ---thats me copywrite Ricky Bobby Inc.
August 27, 2008 6:05 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
just a reminder to "the mangament"
someday you to will be just an overpaid installer, can you justify your job? practice what you preach and look forward to the future and put yourself 10 years down the road. is it time to act now or wait and see how things go?
just a question?
August 27, 2008 6:19 PM
Anonymous said...
"overpaid installers" will always be welcome. Do you know why? People who know what they are doing do it better, faster, and therefore make more money.
The "overpaid installers" act as mentors and leaders for the "new guys."
Give me a groups of "overpaid installers" any day over a group of rookies.
August 27, 2008 6:26 PM
Drama Queens rule this blog said...
I found my last post. I'll post it here again so it doesn't get "lost". And there's no way in hell a union will get us $30/hr.
Sadly the union appears disorganized. Yup, I've been to a meeting (or two) and it felt like being invited to a Mary Kay party. "Next time bring more people, next time bring more people." How many meetings are their with just 2,3, or even just 10 people?
Think about this when you are pondering a contract. There is one representative from each office (a tech) and jenn napi to negotiate a contract. At your next weekly meeting look around and try to find that one person you think is articulate enough, knowledgeable enough, and can even spell negotiate. How confident are you now?
Maybe Portland can win by itself, but it will need about 100%. The union dropped the ball by dicking around for too long, and TWC listened to the issues and at least attempted to address them.
The Union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. No union rep has spoke up on this website about sticking together, or warning people about using names, and monitoring the content. Is this the kind of representation you want?
Not me.
It's NO for me.
August 27, 2008 6:34 PM
Anonymous said...
READ MY POST AGAIN. 30 BUCKS A HOUR DOWN THE ROAD NOT OVERNIGHT. i'M TALKING 5, 10 YEARS. iT'S POSSIBLE I KNOW UNION WORKERS THAT MAKE THAT IN 10 YEARS.
August 27, 2008 8:27 PM
Anonymous said...
I have done every coarse that twc offers. when i did them raises di not exist for them. back in the 90's. where is my compinsation. i cant get raises for them now. so how do i get more money. I have asked to get bumped in pay for all of them and was told no way .. union yes.. bout time
August 27, 2008 8:29 PM
Anonymous said...
there is no such thing as overpaid when the company you work for measures it's profits in billions
p.s "it's a pretty darn good place to work thou?"
August 27, 2008 9:27 PM
Anonymous said...
You took all the courses when you say? back in the 90's. Well son we think you will need to take some new courses old boy as a lot has changed since the 90's and you are way out of date. I dont believe the smack you are salad shooting about anyone saying no. You are asking the wrong question grasshopper, dont ask where is my money, ask where is my enrollment form so i can get started with my career path as I am sure there are some courses you can take that will benefit you. And what level are you now? What you make 50 bucks an hour already cause you are all the way at the top? bull&^&86t and quit kidding yourself man. Get real know what you are talking about salad boy.
August 27, 2008 9:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent
In response to your overtime problem: I have a relative in an insurance office, and even there they get manditory overtime year round. No choice in the matter, no thank you afterwards. Happens all the time buddy. You ask me we've got it pretty damn good compared to a lot of other workplaces.
August 27, 2008 9:36 PM
Anonymous said...
if i hadn't had a raise sine the 90's when gas was 99 cents a gallon i probaly would have went to the tampon factory in lewy?
August 27, 2008 9:38 PM
Anonymous said...
grasshopper? i know who your are!!!!!hahaha, no!!!!!?
August 27, 2008 9:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Tampon factory would be a fitting place for you "salad boy". Think of the gas you will save not having to run down to the store for your tampons.
August 27, 2008 9:54 PM
Anonymous said...
bulk shipment, no gas required it's part of ups plan i'm on it works for me, heavey bleeder, only supers
August 27, 2008 10:08 PM
Anonymous said...
Brent stays:
stay strong
stay focused
stay smart
I say - Brent go have another beer or two - you'll feel better.
Portland Pride!
August 28, 2008 6:17 AM
Anonymous said...
I was a union steward for IBEW a lot of years ago (in cable TV). All they did was take my dues, give a lot of lip service, as we watched the non-union employees get better raises, better medical, and better retirement plans than the Union could get for us.
The union is good for the slackers and those who want to whine and complain instead of going out and actually earning their pay and benefits, and then run and hide behind a grievance whenever something comes down the pike they do not like.
I recently was talking with an union electrician working at one of the paper mills who did nothing but brag about how little work they actually do during the day, and how much time and effort they spend "screwing" the man. Then he starting complaining about the mills closing and the work going overseas. YA Think!!
August 28, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract
August 28, 2008 8:40 AM
brent marr portland said...
manditory overtime is ok just keep it reasonable .
didnt one guy work 40 hrs ot in three days before flipping out .
if we had more techs ot would be easy to handle .
oh yea our jobs are not going over seas . our customers are here in the state of maine .
we work together every day at work , the problem is that the top people at time warner get all the profits .
we should work together so that we get what is ours .
fair pay , good benys , good working conditions .
of all the people i have talked to i have found less than 5 % to be non union .
thats all for now .
your friend and coworker .
brent marr
423-2998
August 28, 2008 9:38 AM
Anonymous said...
" fair pay , good benys , good working conditions"
What part are you missing? I get all three.
August 28, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
how many of us will be happy with our jobs 5,10,20 years down the road when we are paying 10 dollars a gallon for gas , fuel to heat our homes , paying a morgage , raising a family , car payment , vacation with our family ??? .
not a bad job if you like staying home all the time watching free cable tv , and playing vidio games on your free internet .
and oh yea living with mom and dad rent free .
but the rest of us want more out of life than that .
A 4 % raise wont get us there .
i have friends that belong to unions and they do prety good .
i have seen both sides and union is better .
August 28, 2008 11:20 AM
Anonymous said...
who you calling salad boy. I was doing cable when you where still in ya fathers sack. get a life man
August 28, 2008 12:54 PM
Anonymous said...
Well I have to say there are some pretty ignorant comments made on this site.I have worked at this company for 15 years plus and I see the company making the same mistakes they were making back when I started.The changes they have made recently haven't been due to anyone's grand idea but more in driven due to competition in the indusry and a responsibilty to there share holders.Im not talking about the very recent changes such as the raises and how we are treated by management. I'm talking about the changes in the last couple of years to better postion the company for the future in this market industry.The mistakes I refered to earlier are the scheduling isssue which ultimately ends up in the techs laps tipically at the end of a long day.That has happed to me many times over the years and I know it still happens everyday on a regular basis to some techs.To be completely honest the company has treated me very well over the years and I don't have allot of concerns with my day to day duties.Most of the reason why I have stepped forward and embraced the union is due to what I see the new folks comming into the company are going through.My direct concerns are Saftey and being granted the respect and recourses I need to do my job.In the recent acquzition of the Adelphia systems I have been asked to maintain the plant in several new areas of the state with several didferent kinds of equipment.I beleive it has been almost two years now and I still can't get the equipment I need to cover these areas. We were never given any formal training on the new equipment. We were just exspected to figure it out on our own.And very very rarely do I get a thank you for doing so."Respect and Resources" Thats all I'm really asking for."Example" We have been asking for the propper lighting on our trucks ever since we started the night shift.That's been over two years and I still have to use my own light with the window open rain coming in to site the plant in an outage. Look at a CMP truck and you will see they are set up very well.They even have TWO lights mounted on there truck to site there plant at night.They work with two people onsite in storm and outages.Some of the techs have felt the need to purchase and mount there own lighting because the company hasen't been able to pull it together to get the truck setup for the work done at night weather it be scheduled or outage work.I find this unacceptable in a company that records millions in profit every year.Excuse my spelling.Im a plant maintenance tech not a teacher.As far as the aggression some of the techs have felt I can assure you that that is not a good repesentaion of the group as a whole.Working here this long I have come to know allot of folks in the company and as a whole this is a great bunch of people.If you don't like what your hearing from one person then talk to someone else, get there thoughts and make and educated decision.I have seen people try to make changes for the better in this company over the years.The company will even ask for our input but rarely do we see it put into action.We need to try something different this time and maybe the union is the answer.Look forward to your thoughts and ideas. NOT your personal attack on me.Please lets keep open minds and go about this professonally. Portland Tech
August 28, 2008 4:00 PM
Anonymous said...
"Check the IBEW - Verizon Contract, Mandatory overtime is actaully required per contract"
Yeah 12 hours on busy seasons and 10 on non.
August 28, 2008 5:23 PM
Anonymous said...
So beware, if we no not enough work they will pull all the cable off the poles and head to another country. Come on this is not a factory.
August 28, 2008 5:25 PM
Anonymous said...
And with Mandatory overtime there is a limit, yeah I will work 15 hours to have the next day paid off. Ohh how about Sundays being paid double time. Ohh how about overtime after 8 hours, then double after 12. Hummm, I think theres some things we can change..
August 28, 2008 5:27 PM
Anonymous said...
Of all the people I've talked to less than 5% want a union to come in and waste time, and cause trouble (which is pretty much all that's happened up until now.)
August 28, 2008 8:54 PM
Anonymous said...
%5 is a good number..I guess you need to look at the other offices. Pro or no, There are more than 5%
August 28, 2008 9:00 PM
Brents fan club said...
The union has no ammo left. Brent man really what are you going to do when the fairpoint negotiations start? IBEW is soon to focus all of their attention on them as the interest here at TWC is so limited that they are probably thinking this has been a waste of their time. Then what are you going to do? Who is this guy talking about fair pay, good bennies and good working conditions? Brent man really what in the hell are you talking about man. Have you done any research. Ask some people about their benefit packages in other companies, ask them about their working conditions-how they are treated etc. And good pay man right...Brent you are obviously a pretty intellegent man but dude you are really discrediting yourself when you make comments like this. You need to look around you outside of this company and look at all of the people struggling just to pay for gas to get to and from work. Well Brent the "company" is paying for yours, and your benefits are like non other. And lets talk about your working conditions and please explain to all of us about your working conditions. Last I checked you are a maint guy who works at his own pace sweeping balancing and I am pretty sure you get out on time almost every day unless you are on call. What is really driving you on this subject really? We all want to know. Do you have a bone to pick with your super, manager or who rubbed you the wrong way man? Let me ask you one question and reading your posts I do believe you are level headed so please respond to my above questions as most of us really want to hear your opinion other than stay strong, stay focused, stay smart. This is great advice to live by every day I have to give you that.
August 28, 2008 10:51 PM
FLY ON THE WALL said...
GOOD TREATMENT LATLY BY THE COMPANY BUT DONT THINK IT WILL LAST . INTRESTING TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE CONTROLED BY THERE OWN FEAR .
HOW WILL WE LOOK AND THINK OF OURSELVES WHEN THIS IS OVER UNION OR NON UNION .
WHEN I LOOK IN THE MIRROR I LIKE THE PERSON I SEE .
[ HOW ABOUT YOU ]
August 29, 2008 1:04 AM
Anonymous said...
If you folks are thinking of going Union at least join the CWA.
The IBEW are wimps, they could not negotiate their way into a whorehouse with a fist full of 100 dollar Bills!
August 29, 2008 8:37 AM
Anonymous said...
This IBEW is all about money – our money. I spoke to an electrician today on a site and asked him what he paid for dues. He said he pays about $80 a month. I’m no banker but $80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year. Not bad money for not doing anything. I see no benefit of handing over my money to a union just to say I’m a member. Keep the cards to yourself –
Portland Pride!
August 29, 2008 3:27 PM
Anonymous said...
$80 X 200 techs = $ 192,000 a year
Form your own union...with $192k you can hire a full time exec, and have plenty of pic nics! That's all they do!
August 29, 2008 3:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Visit their web site.
Maybe they can use the money to update it. I suspect they are about as effective and up-to-date as their web site
August 29, 2008 3:48 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - how much beer can you buy for $192,ooo? Should keep you vey happy - you could just lay around and drink beer all day. Pardon me I think I'll have another. Give me a break - I'll keep looking forward and not back to 2001 or 2002. It seems that you can't even figure out what year the man screwed you.
Have another beer - you'll feel better.
August 29, 2008 4:18 PM
Anonymous said...
Boeing Union is talking strike:
The final offer presented yesterday provides raises of 5 percent the first year and 3 percent the following two years. The combined 11 percent raise would be the biggest since the one of the same amount in 1999. The union sought an increase at the top end of the 9 percent to 13 percent three-year range it's won recently for other aerospace companies.
Workers also would get a $2,500 payment if they approve the accord by Sept. 3, plus other bonuses. The plan would preserve the way Boeing uses contractors, rejecting changes the IAM sought and had warned it would be willing to strike over.
The total average annual value of the contract would be $110,400, 23 percent greater than the typical machinist's average compensation now, including overtime, bonuses and benefits, according to Healy. The average machinist's wage is about $26 an hour now, or about $54,000 a year.
GREEDY BASTARDS! HOPE THEY WALK AND LOSE THEIR JOBS!!
August 29, 2008 6:00 PM
Anonymous said...
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
August 29, 2008 7:14 PM
Anonymous said...
pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future .
cmp and fairpoint dont put up with this treatment why should we .
all my fellow techs think union is the way to go and so do i .
August 29, 2008 10:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Have another beer!
August 30, 2008 12:59 PM
brent marr portland said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises .
thanks to a union contract that school officials now acknowledge was financially shaky , 42 educators received raises rangeng from 20 percent to 53 percent during the past school year , with 218 educators receiving an average pay hike of 12.8 percent .
one more group of people that are unionized [sticking together] and MUCH better off because of it .
less arguing between ourselves and more working together and we too could have a job that makes the front page of the portland press .
brent marr
423-2998
August 31, 2008 10:11 AM
Anonymous said...
the last time union talks came thru i was new and thought why is everyone complaineing the company is doing what they can, all comments that i've seen here from anti-new techs liveing with mommy. 6 years later and i want a union i used to be new now i now as soon the company feels the union has failed they will and have in the past treat all u company men like shit, don't say we didn't tell ya.......
August 31, 2008 10:19 AM
Anonymous said...
further more 3 of the recent managers here in portland were all PRO-UNION. They were the one's telling us we needed it and now they shit on you everyday get a clue I've allready sighned my card 100 plus points a day so don't tell me i;m lazy
August 31, 2008 10:22 AM
Anonymous said...
whos got the union cards and how can i get one to sign .
August 31, 2008 4:33 PM
Anonymous said...
news flash !!!
portland press herald 8-30-08
portland teachers cash in with mind blowing raises
NEWS FLASH...
Taxpayers are footing the bill on this one, no matter how much taxes go up they have to be paid.
Private sector pays cable bills, when they go up, subscribers will go to dish, layoffs and more contract labor will result...you union sheeple just don't get it do you?
Sign the card..vote the union in, then tell me 5 years from now what a great idea that was!
September 1, 2008 9:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Leading union watchdog groups issue warning on organized labor’s looming power grabs
Springfield, VA (August 28, 2008) – Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation and National Right to Work Committee, made the following statement regarding this year’s Labor Day holiday.
“On Labor Day, many Americans will get a much deserved day off. But as we celebrate the free-enterprise system and the value of hard work, union officials are mounting an unprecedented, billion-dollar campaign effort to grab more forced unionism power. Their goal is to elect a President and a filibuster-proof Senate that will give them even more tools to force workers to join or pay dues to a union.
“Throughout the United States, more than 12 million American workers are already compelled to pay dues or fees to unions as a condition of employment. And millions more workers are required by law to accept a union’s so-called ‘representation,’ even if they would rather negotiate with their employer themselves on their own merits. Today, union bosses are going all out to obtain even more special privileges to help bolster their forced-dues-paying ranks.
“Organized labor is intent on passage of several sweeping bills – including the Card Check Forced Unionism Bill, which would make workers even more vulnerable to union intimidation during union organizing drives, and the Police and Firefighter Monopoly Bargaining Act, which would force hundreds of thousands of America’s first responders into union collectives by federal fiat. The National Right to Work Committee is mobilizing its 2.2 million members to combat these and other bills intended to corral even more workers into forced unionism.
“Meanwhile, many workers feel they have little choice but to pay for organized labor’s billion-dollar 2008 election campaign, and many workers are unaware of their right to object. That’s why the National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is providing free legal aid to thousands of employees nationwide seeking to get their money back. In fact, in October Foundation attorneys will argue their fourteenth case accepted by the U.S. Supreme Court – a case which defends the right of workers to refuse to pay for union activism using their mandatory union dues.
“This Labor Day, we commend those courageous American workers who are standing up to union intimidation, harassment, and even violence as they defend their cherished freedoms of conscience, speech, and association. And we work toward the day when no American is forced to pay tribute to an unwanted union.”
September 1, 2008 11:04 AM
Anonymous said...
"pay stinks , too much work , no respect , no future ."
McDonald's is hiring!
September 1, 2008 11:12 AM
Anonymous said...
What are your rights if the union is conducting organizing drive at my workplace?
The union is conducting a "card check" organizing drive at my workplace, and I am not interested in union representation. What are my rights?
If a union collects signed "authorization cards" from 50% plus 1 of the employees at your workplace, your employer could declare that the union is the exclusive representative of all employees without a secret ballot election.
You have the legal right to: (1) not sign a union authorization card; (2) revoke any authorization card you may have signed; (3) sign and circulate a petition against union representation; and (4), if your employer recognizes the union as your representative, request a secret-ballot election to decertify the union under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 NLRB No. 28 (2007),
(1) You have a legal right to refrain from signing a union authorization card. Whether you wish to sign a union authorization card is completely up to you. It is unlawful for an employer or a union to threaten or coerce any employee to sign a union authorization card, or to misrepresent the purpose of the card.
For example, it is unlawful for a union or employer to tell employees that they will be fired when the union gets in if they don't sign a card. Employees should also beware of union propaganda that claims, "We already have a majority of signed cards, and we want you to sign in order to show the employer that we really have a unanimous workforce." If the union truly had a majority of signed cards, it would likely have already demanded exclusive representation status from the employer, and would not be wasting its time collecting more signatures.
(2) You have a legal right to revoke any union authorization card that you have signed. It is illegal for a union to restrict your right to revoke a union authorization card that you may signed.
You may revoke any union authorization card you have signed by simply signing a letter, card, petition, or other document stating that you do not support the union, or that you support another union. Under the National Labor Relations Board's "dual card" doctrine, it is well-established that when an employee signs two documents with conflicting statements of union support --- for example, signing a card both for and against union representation --- then neither document is a valid proof of the employee's representational preference. See Parkwood Developmental Center Inc., 347 N.L.R.B. No. 95 (2006); Le Marquis Hotel, LLC, 340 N.L.R.B. No. 64 (2003). Quite simply, the two documents cancel each other out.
Under the "dual card" doctrine, you do not need to communicate your opposition to union representation to the union, or to your employer, to render your prior union authorization card invalid as a matter of law. However, if you do not inform the union or your employer that you have revoked the union authorization card that you signed, there is a possibility that the union or employer may count you as a union supporter during any card count (even though your card is invalid as a matter of law).
Thus, we strongly recommend that, if you wish to revoke a union authorization card, you notify in writing both the union and your employer that you are doing so to ensure that your representational preference is known. You should send a letter by certified mail, return receipt requested, so that you have proof of delivery.
(3) You have a legal right to sign and circulate petitions against union representation. You have the legal right to campaign against union representation if you choose, provided that it is done on non-work time (such as during work breaks) and in non-work locations (such as in break or lunch rooms). An employer cannot discriminate against employees based on their support or opposition to union representation, if done on non-work time in non-work areas.
You have the legal right to sign and circulate cards or petitions against union representation, on non-work time and in non work-areas. If you oppose the representation of a union, signing and circulating such a petition is perhaps the most important thing that you can do to exercise your legal right to refrain from union representation.
One reason circulating such a petition is important is that, under the "dual card" doctrine, an employee's signature on a card or petition against union representation invalidates any union authorization card that he or she may have signed before, or signs in the future, for up to one year. Thus, if 50% of more of employees in a bargaining unit sign a card or petition against union representation, it is mathematically impossible for the union to organize your facility via a "card check" for one year.
Moreover, signatures on cards or petitions against union representation can be used to support a request for a secret-ballot election if your employer recognizes a union by a card check in the future. As explained below, if 30% or more of employees sign cards or petitions against union representation, employees can later use those signatures to request a secret-ballot election within 45 days after card-check recognition is announced.
(4) Employees have the right to request a secret-ballot vote if their employer recognizes a union based on union authorization cards. Under the NLRB’s ruling in Dana Corp., 351 N.L.R.B. No. 28 (2007), employees can file a petition for decertification with the NLRB to obtain a secret-ballot election, provided that the petition for decertification is filed within 45 days after the employees are publicly notified of the “recognition” of the union.
Under Dana Corp., unions and employers must notify the NLRB when the employer recognizes a union as an exclusive representative. When this happens, the NLRB will give the employer and union an official notice that must be posted in conspicuous places in the workplace.
That NLRB notice will inform employees that: (1) the employer (on _____ date) has recognized the union as the employees' exclusive bargaining representative based on evidence indicating that a majority of employees in a described bargaining unit desire its representation; (2) all employees, including those who previously signed cards in support of the recognized union, have the right to be represented by a union of their choice or by no union at all; (3) within 45 days from the date of the posting of notice, a decertification petition signed by 30 percent or more of the unit employees may be filed with the NLRB for a secret-ballot election to determine whether or not the unit employees wish to be represented by the union; (4) any properly supported petition filed within the 45-day period will be processed according to the Board's normal procedures; and (5) if no petition is filed within 45 days from the date of this notice, then the recognized union's status as the unit employees' exclusive majority bargaining representative will not be subject to challenge for a reasonable period of time following the expiration of the 45-day window period, to permit the union and the employer an opportunity to negotiate a collective-bargaining agreement.
In short, if a union is recognized as your exclusive representative via a "card check," you have 45 days from the date of posting of the official NLRB-prepared notice to petition for a secret-ballot election to decertify the union. To petition for a secret-ballot election, you must: (1) obtain a "showing of interest" petition signed by 30% or more of employees stating their opposition to representation by the union and desire for an election (click here for Sample Petition), and (2) fill out an NLRB Form 502. The "showing of interest" petition and four copies of NLRB Form 502 must then be submitted to your local NLRB Regional Office. If the official NLRB-prepared notice of recognition of a union is not posted, but you learn in some other way that your employer has recognized a union without a secret-ballot election, a decertification petition can be filed at any time.
It is important to remember that the signatures on the 30% “showing of interest” can be collected BEFORE the “recognition” is declared, so employees need not wait to begin collecting the signatures. In fact, if employees oppose union representation and oppose having a union come into their workplace based only on “authorization cards” with no secret-ballot election, they can begin collecting signatures immediately, even while the union is collecting its own signatures.
In conclusion, every employee has a protected legal right to decide whether to sign a union authorization card, free from threats, restraint, harassment, coercion, or misrepresentation. employees should be able to make this choice in an atmosphere free of restraint, threats and coercion.
Portland Pride!
September 1, 2008 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...
http://www.employerreport.com/
"EmployerReport.com has been purposefully designed as a no-frills, in-your-face-all-the-time web site," says Peter List, Founder & CEO of EmployerReport.com. "Our mission is to draw attention to the issues and institutions that are costing Americans their jobs--from labor unions to the politicians in their pockets, and all others who make it more difficult for American business and America's workers to succeed."
EmployerReport.com is based on a simple idea: To provide the business and legal community, as well as human resource, labor and employee relations professionals with up-to-date information through a simple, easy to navigate website. Information is updated by 7 am (EST), Sunday through Friday.
"Today, our country is in the midst of an ideological war that is jeopardizing the system of free-market enterprise that has made this nation so great," states List. "American business is under attack from labor unions, over-burdensome regulation, and unrelenting litigation that is costing employers and our economy billions of dollars and has cost millions of Americans their jobs as capital has been forced to seek refuge overseas."
The goal of EmployerReport.com is to serve as a resource for the business and legal community to keep abreast of current issues that affect America's ability to compete in a global marketplace.
List,a former local union leader who, ironically, had his own factory job outsourced to Mexico in the early 1990s is one of the nation's most sought-after labor and employee relations experts. His consulting firm Kulture, LLC, is a nationally-known labor and employee relations consulting firm that works with employers to resolve issues that arise in the employment relationship.
"When Americans see their jobs being outsourced, the blame is often wrongfully aimed at business," says List, "when, in fact, the blame should laid at the feet of those who have forced companies to relocate elsewhere."
"One of the biggest threats facing America today is the threat from today's labor movement and the 'Kill American Jobs Act,' otherwise known as the Employee Free Choice Act," explains List. "If passed, this legislation will be the biggest political payoff in history to any special interest group, yet it will also have the biggest destructive impact on American jobs since the Great Depression. Beyond seeing this bill defeated, our goal is to promote freedom in the marketplace to give employers and their workers a better chance at competing in a global economy."
September 1, 2008 1:05 PM
Anonymous said...
Want to know where Union dues go:
ELECTRICAL WORKERS (IBEW)
Alabama Local Treasurer Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 4, Kenneth H. Mays, former treasurer of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 1053, was sentenced in U.S. District Court to five years probation for embezzling funds from the Demopolis, Ala. union. He also will have to pay $37,197 in restitution and a special $100 assessment. Mays pleaded guilty in January.
COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS (CWA)
District Regional Boss Sentenced for Embezzlement
On June 22, Kermit Dorsey, former regional administrator for Communications Workers of America District 7, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 500 hours of community service to be completed within three years and a term of probation to expire at the completion of service. Dorsey pleaded guilty in March to embezzling $22,798.29 in union funds. CWA District 7, headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado, represents about 55,000 workers from more than 150 employers.
September 1, 2008 1:14 PM
Anonymous said...
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed
Nice Blog ! hard to read sooo much stuff
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
Looks like the union activity is revin up a little.
Maybe people dont like 100 points and half a paycheck.
Union meeting
Stockhouse
504 main st
Westbrook
Jan 29 th
6:00 pm
I for one have waited long enought for wages to get better. The big and great career path has not fixed this problem. Too many techs have found too many road blocks to the big money.
Work loads are so heavy that techs are failing QCs which is a very convenient way of stoping a good tech from getting along with the career path and getting the big money that was supposed to be part of it.
After the career path was introduced there was a surge in techs geting written up in an attempt to stop us from getting any raises.
Most of us have grown tired of time warners games.
Pro union now
Pro union allways
Backwoods boy where are you redneck. Lets go drink some PBR and kill some wild animals you bitch. I got some coyote bait and some canadian LTD. Call me
Hey Union Boys
You are not doing well
Why ?
Meeting at waterville holiday inn meeting room 3 7 pm monday
Managers not invited
Check out CNN. The employee free choice act looks like a good way for us to put a stop to low wages and heavy work loads. With a democrat in the WHITE HOUSE it wont be long now.
PRO UNION
PRO PEOPLE
PRO FAIR TREATMENT
If waterville wants a union they can do what the rest of us have done.
GET UP AND GET INVOLVED.
Pleasebitchplease.com
youporn.com
redtube.com
good places for small minded union folk
PRO UNION = WEAK MIND
pro union = pro people
nothing wrong with that.
Its a long way to the top if you want to ROCK AN ROLL.
Lifes not a free ride and neither is respect on the job.
If you want respect you must earn it.
Wishful thinking wont get the job done.
Labor unions were created in the 19th century (1899) to protect children and workers from unfair labor practices that came as a result of the Industrial Revolution. These conditions no longer exist today so there is no need for labor unions. Labor laws and free enterprise protect workers now.
Labor unions drive up the cost of products and are taking jobs away from Americans. US companies are looking elsewhere for labor they can afford.
Labor unions have crippled American manufacturing which is slowly disappearing. Many companies have relocated their manufacturing facilities outside of the US to save labor costs. Ohio Art, makers of the “Etch-A-Sketch”, made a decision several years ago to do just that.
Labor unions are hurting the American car industry. American car companies are having trouble competing with the Japanese. Thanks to labor unions, American cars may soon be a thing of the past.
Labor unions are self serving–more interested in their own self preservation than the good of their members.
Labor unions create an adversarial relationship between labor and management.
Labor disputes hurt customers and the public (talk about biting the hand that feeds you). Everyone looses when they strike.
Labor unions actually take away wages from workers. Workers are forced to pay dues that lower their earnings.
Labor unions distort the truth through propaganda designed
Nice Blog ! hard to read sooo much stuff
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Sit on your ass and listen to the nay sayers that are happy with 100 points and half a pay check and you wont get there.
Pro Union = Pro Gay Marrige
Pro Union = Bankrupt auto company
Pro Union = Airline pilots not getting paid shit
Pro Union = Ppaermaking Jobs farmed overseas
Pro Union = Lazy Mother fuckers, who just want more money for less work, and someone to protect them when they get caught slacking and whanking off at thier respective Jobs...
What has the Union done for You Lately Smart Man Hav you had gps installed? of course , Have you been watched Yes
Why you ask?
The pro Union mother fuckers goof off way too much and now we all must be part of the watched crowd as well..
Thanks Asshole for making my workplace easier to deal with!!
Whats next
Go away Union Homo's you see where the paper Industry has ended up and How many of you has this effected westbrook, Jay ETC ETC
Call
Steve Smith (Organizer) IBEW New England:
978.302.3690
Tell Him No thanks
Call Jenn Nappi (Organizer) IBEW 2327, Augusta ME: 207.623.2901
Tell her show us what she is sporting "Wink Wink"
And tell her no thanks Unions have fucked Maine long and hard for too many years and it really HURTS
www.IBEW.org
I do not have a mind as I am in a Union MIND
POSTING ON THIS BLOG IS Retarded.
**YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER OR GIVE ANY INFORMATION, THIS IS AMERICA, YOU MAY SPEAK FREELY**
If you choose to post a comment on this blog, follow this info.:
1.) Simply FIND A POST you wish to comment on i.e. (Open Forum)
2.) At the bottom of the post is a link that shows how many comments have been posted. CLICK THAT LINK
3.) Read through all of the comments by SCROLLING DOWN
4.) TYPE YOUR COMMENT in the box
5.) SIGN IN with a chosen name or anonymous
6.) PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT
The Union Difference
Pro Union = Pro Gay Marrige
Pro Union = Bankrupt auto company
Pro Union = Airline pilots not getting paid shit
Pro Union = Ppaermaking Jobs farmed overseas
Pro Union = Lazy Mother fuckers, who just want more money for less work, and someone to protect them when they get caught slacking and whanking off at thier respective Jobs...
What has the Union done for You Lately Smart Man Hav you had gps installed? of course , Have you been watched Yes
Why you ask?
The pro Union mother fuckers goof off way too much and now we all must be part of the watched crowd as well..
Thanks Asshole for making my workplace easier to deal with!!
Whats next
Go away Union Homo's you see where the paper Industry has ended up and How many of you has this effected westbrook, Jay ETC ETC
Call
Steve Smith (Organizer) IBEW New England:
978.302.3690
Tell Him No thanks
Call Jenn Nappi (Organizer) IBEW 2327, Augusta ME: 207.623.2901
Tell her show us what she is sporting "Wink Wink"
And tell her no thanks Unions have fucked Maine long and hard for too many years and it really HURTS
www.IBEW.org
I do not have a mind as I am in a Union MIND
POSTING ON THIS BLOG IS Retarded.
**YOU DO NOT NEED TO REGISTER OR GIVE ANY INFORMATION, THIS IS AMERICA, YOU MAY SPEAK FREELY**
If you choose to post a comment on this blog, follow this info.:
1.) Simply FIND A POST you wish to comment on i.e. (Open Forum)
2.) At the bottom of the post is a link that shows how many comments have been posted. CLICK THAT LINK
3.) Read through all of the comments by SCROLLING DOWN
4.) TYPE YOUR COMMENT in the box
5.) SIGN IN with a chosen name or anonymous
6.) PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT
The Union Difference
Looks like we still got imposters on this site.
Time warners still runnin scared.
I bet our techs wished they started at $ 21.68 bucks an hour like fairpoint.
HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
90-100 points a day.
$13.00 dollars a hour.
Forced over time.
No respect.
Wont change until we form a union.
With pay raises looking to be poor at best. Lets see how many techs finaly come out of the closet.
With chump raises, Heavy work loads, No respect it will be easy for techs to see that joining together and forming a union is the only way to hold on to what we have and to gain any improvements.
United we bargian
Devided we beg
Wouldnt it be nice if we lived in a world were respect was handed out to all of us just for doing our jobs well.
Unfortunately thats not the way if works and some of you green horns have learned that the hard way.
Hey Fag's
I make 28.67 an hour only work OT 3 days a month what are you bitching about..
Move south pussies you will be respected and make more money than tne "Aquisition Techs"
Adelphia Techs Suck....
You are all Fucking Losers, Legacy Rules
550 CommentsClose this window Jump to comment form «Oldest ‹Older 401 – 550 of 550 Newer› Newest»
Anonymous said...
time warner cable sucks ass
December 12, 2008 7:07 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
January 7, 2009 5:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey were is the bangor guy thats happy with his job ?. Did he go back to his desk.
HA,HA,HA.
January 7, 2009 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
lets put it in gear and stop pussy footing it around. Vote the damn union in. For a little while I have been treated better, now back to the same ole bullshit. Working for this company and my wife have one thing in common there never satisfied. At this pay rate I cant survive anymore. pays us more cut the big management bonuses. (local management). Give the little people what they deserve, you people get enough to begin with..
January 8, 2009 9:11 PM
Anonymous said...
Most of us want improvments, its just a mater of how bad we want them and what we are willing to do to get a good contract. It will not happen unless many of us get up and get involved . This site is a good place to vent our problems but not to solve them completly.
If i could suggest calling the phone numbers on this site and asking how you can get involved and help build this union.
Also you could contact your coworkers and get them involved.
The improvements that most of us want will not happen by its self, It will take guts and determination from many of us.
Actions speak louder than words.
January 9, 2009 7:04 PM
Anonymous said...
If your tired of being treated like a number and you dont matter and your efforts go unappreciated ,the next meeting will be on jan 29 th at the stock house at 506 main st in westbrook 6 pm.
If we sit back and do nothing we will only have ourselves to blame if we are still in this mess in the years to come.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 9, 2009 8:20 PM
Anonymous said...
The dark days are with us now and they will only be behind us when we learn to stand together.
United we bargain
Devided we beg
January 10, 2009 6:41 AM
Anonymous said...
Cold out there today. 0 degrees on the thermometer outside the shack. Stay warm saturday techs.
January 10, 2009 8:03 AM
Anonymous said...
I've put in my time and taken my lumps. I also know what MY responsibilities are. I knew when I took this job that it was not a 9-5 job. If I want to make sure I get out on time every day I would be a CSR or dispatcher. Every job has its good and bad points. That is called work. A lot of job satisfaction depends on what you put into it. I like the fact that I don't have a boss I see every day. I like that I get the freedoms I have, working outside. I don't like the workload being as bad as it is lately, but that is the type of work we do. I don't think that I am going to vote yes for a union, but from reading this site, apparently that makes me a jerk. There are a growing number of us who do not discuss union at all anymore because every time we state our opnion the pro-union techs jump all over us. I understand that they are trying to share their opinion, but just because I don't agree with yours does not make me an @$$hole. There was a post recently that stated the union has only helped stir up animosity and break us apart. I completely agree and it is too bad. This whole situation could have been handled a lot better and there probably would have been more yes votes, possibly even mine. There are too many "hot heads" that just cause animosity and discontent to make a real stab at this. For those of you who still support the union, that is your right and I understand why, but take a little time and try to understand that there are different opinions out there and we aren't all "stupid" or "morons". We just stop talking about it so we don't have to deal with the repercussions of disagreeing with you.
- Silent IR Tech Portland
August 26, 2008 3:21 PM
brent marr portland said...
Many of us like the work we do . cable tv,internet and phone is a very interesting job . but the pay and work load is out of line with the very high profits that this company is making .
Most of us feel like we are being taken advantage of when we are told we have to work over time like it or not . heavy work load like it or not . low pay like it or not .
We are contantly told that we are doing a great job and that the division is doing very well . if that is true we should see that in our pay checks and our work loads and the way we are treated .
Many of us have made attempts at talking to local management about these workplace problems only to find that they have no control over wages and work load .
we have a choice we can join together and form a union and work together to solve these problems . or we can do nothing and nothing will change .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time if you have any questions .
August 26, 2008 4:19 PM
Anonymous said...
Hey Brent - news flash
Without profits, we dont have a job. You talk about speaking to management about workplace problems - do you have some solution that no one else has thought about? I doubt it - sit back and enjoy anothe beer or two - you've worked had and deserve it.
August 26, 2008 7:29 PM
Anonymous said...
I wonder how many of you have thought about what happens if we vote for a union. I see a lot of talk about how wages will jump up to $30 an hour – do you really believe this will happen? Ask yourself, how long have the phone and power companies had unions – 30 to 40+ years? Do you think that because we vote for a union that Burkley will pay us $30 an hour? Has anyone sat and negotiated a contract before? Do you really think that they will give us more money without us giving something up in return? Will it be giving up vacation time? Pension plan? Will we have to pay more for our health care? Let’s get the facts and stop listening to the jive from the union who promises everything to everyone. I for one am tired of all the infighting that is going on around me. People aren’t treating each other the same depending on where you stand on this issue. I know we have problems – every company union or non-union has problems. Do you think if we go union that our problems will magically go away? Who’s kidding who? I’ve worked here 7 years worked hard and done well. Look around – it’s a good company with good benefits. I just signed up for the career path and look forward to bumping my wage again in a year. What other company can give you that? Let’s get back to work and cut the belly aching.
Portland Pride
August 26, 2008 7:32 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
finally making good money this company's for real took a little time but listened. union no!!!!!!!!!! we have it good in 5 years i'm projected to make 28 an hour not including 4% what more do you want?good benneies, cable shut the fuck up! augustA no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! loud and proud "best sup in the buisness thank you dan gould for getting it done while being honest and "thats the reason i stayed here dan gould, and dennis are the men" thank you" "k'mart always hiring"( pride, brotherhood,togherness all without a union)
August 26, 2008 8:49 PM
Anonymous said...
we can make 30 bucks an hour without a union!!!no!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! give twc a chance cote no they alreay showed us they care nonononononono! cd
August 26, 2008 8:56 PM
Anonymous said...
work load = job security listen to the news be thankful that your making the money and bennies you are plus as much ot you want. augsta no!!!!!!!!!!!!!
August 26, 2008 8:59 PM
rockland cable god said...
This is a great site. the union put this here for their gain and in return this site has proven to hurt them as all of the pro guys look like idiots and this has actully turned people off. Say no to the union we get treated good and just got a raise and my career path-when i am eligible again will get me where i need to be. where else can you go and get a 3 to 5 % raise each year and possibly an extra 1.60 increase by passing some tests? most of you pro guys probably are afraid of tests... all you pro union guys want something for nothing. quit whining and cowboy up bitches cause we know who you are and i will be laughing at you when i am making 10 dollars more per hour than you when i succed with career path and you are still singing the same song and dance about a union to get you more money. this is the best company to work for, benefits like no other, a vehicle to take home, good pay and a great sup that treats me well and shoots it straight. Us guys in rockland are sick of hearing about your union so go away- better yet get to work and take some pride in your work. think about all of the stuff the company does for you instead of wht it does not. my sup takes us out to lunch as a team with the best numbers each month,they buy us donuts every week,give us a turkey every year and flexible when we have personal things we need to get done. let me think of all the shit holes i worked at where i never got a thank you at christmas time, where i had to pay for my own boots, clothing and gas and there was no flexibility. you pro guys are complete idiots and we should have a blanket party on you guys and if this thing passes some of you are going to get your asses kicked because a lot of us are going to be pissed off. watch your back and dont talk that union smack over here.
August 26, 2008 9:55 PM
Anonymous said...
twc has good bennys . one of them are anger control classes .
threating your coworkers with violence is unprofessional and immature and possibly a violation of state law .
some techs on this site are anti union and say so very loudly . but with out the need to threaten any one with physical violence .
this site has brought out the best and worst that we all have to offer .
workin hard and playin hard in the great state of maine .
August 26, 2008 10:53 PM
Anonymous said...
blanket party , kickin ass .
rockand cable god sounds like all talk and no action .
if this guy dosent have the guts to post his name he wont do squat .
he is proabably 18 yrs old living with mom and dad in the basment .
August 26, 2008 11:06 PM
Anonymous said...
Rocklands a Joke..Doesnt matter what you guys vote.. 6 Techs or so?? All that matters is portland a maybe Augusta..Good luck guys.
August 27, 2008 7:08 AM
brent marr portland said...
lunch at the office today , WOW we are being treated good . what do we think will happen if we do not form a union . all this good treating will suddenly go away just like it did in 2001 .
stay foucused , stay strong .
stay smart .
dont let a few crumbs off the table turn us away from what is important .
brent marr
423-2998
call any time
August 27, 2008 9:01 AM
brent marr portland said...
many disapointed techs in 2001 when twc didnt keep there promisses .
ignore the anti union stuff on this site , its management pretending to be techs .
if you and i were going to end up with less twc would do nothing to talk us out of forming a union .
stay strongI really wish you would do your research before signing a card. Once you sign you may not like what you did for you and your family. Really think about what you have. Is there really a tech out there who can't feed his family right now? Are you like the other 300 million americans trying to make ends meet? Yes you are so remember you are not alone and the Union is not going to help you. If you have good benefits and a decent wage in comparison to other employers than what are you really complaining about here? Is it that you are just lazy and dont want to do your job anymore? Oh right the union told you that they are going to fix the workload....Okay lets fix it without the union and treat you as if you were in the union. Hang on boys I am going to give you the skinny, the poop, the cake right now. Considering that the TWC Maine technician work force consists of more than 50% of green techs 1-3 years with the company you young men some are old but young in the field will be taking my work at 430. Yes you will and if you don't think so then ask a real union employee not someone who is trying to get you to sign a card. Oh yes for all of you young bucks YOU will work overtime every night while I go home. And this is because I am a 8 year veteran and I am senior, and well sorry you wanted to take that vaca with your family but you see there "grasshopper" I am senior and I am taking that week off so you will need to pick a different week. Oh you THINK this is not factual. Oh yeah right what you THINK is real is not because you have not done your research you have taken the word of an organizer someone who participates in claiming your dues. You young guys need to wake up because you know really I will not mind giving you my work at 430 and you know you really are a better worker than me you show more ambition to do the job right an get a pat on the back but you know we are in a union and all that "recognition" shit belongs in a company with performanced base management like what you had with TWC before you signed your card. HAHA suckers
September 14, 2008 11:34 AM
Anonymous said...
"this is all for today"
I've worked a union job before, so I'll ask someone with firsthand experience - me. Overtime was always voluntary first, forced only if no volunteers stepped up. Fact is,overtime will be treated however we decide to have it treated in negotiations with the company. Any changes the company decides to make to that policy will need our approval first. As for the situation you described, that's pretty much business as usual for TWC - and one of the things we want to change.
As for workload - this summer has proven that TWC has had the ability all along to manage the workload without running us all at 125% like last summer. They chose not to manage it appropriately because they treated us as numbers on a balance sheet, not people. Up to a certain point, it is cheaper to pay overtime than it is to provide training and benefits to a new employee. And given the vague interpretations of laws regarding forced overtime, they made people stay, and I bet the balance sheet hit the sweet spot perfectly.
As for time off - you are assuming that the other policies will remain the same - the absurd idea that only 5 techs in portland can have the same day off. With 2 weeks lead time, there is no reason in the world that quota couldn't be adjusted. They don't do it now, because it's easier for them to just say no, and point to the policy, without ever questioning the policy.
And as for the general theme of don't complain, things could be worse - none of the pro-union people are doing this because they are impoverished, hate their jobs, or feel animosity for management. They are doing this because they look at their situation, and see that it can be better. And time and time again, the positive changes at this company have faded away,because there wasn't anyone capable of holding them to their word.
We believe that with a union, we can make changes for the better, and ensure that those changes stick
January 10, 2009 10:38 PM
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posted by Cicero at 12:37 PM on Aug 26, 2008
January 10, 2009 10:40 PM
Anonymous said...
Many more cards geting signed. Looks like the techs are geting wise to time warners games. Real easy to get cards filled out when work is heavy and big promises dont come true.
Some techs have waited a long time for time warner to come through with there big promises and improvements only to find that they have been lied to.
Time warners games are nothing new, most companys use the same anti union play book when its employees talk union.
Lies
threats
intimidation
false promises
temporary improvements
harasment
give us a chance we care about you
confusing and misleading info
give back program
chezzy bonus checks
If you expect more than crumbs off the table step up and sign your union card and get involved.
Union yes
no more games
December 14, 2008 9:18 AM
Anonymous said...
Hey why don't we all sign those stinking cards.I for one was never a union supporter.Now we can all see on the news what happens with
union representation.Companies are being driven into bankruptcy now because if union contracts.Let's see if a few years down the road we can do that for our employer.I for one have not allways been happy with my wages at TWC.But I have always been treated fairly well by this company.I don't think there is another job that I can go to in the area that would pay me anywhere near what I am making here now. Would I like more?You bet.but not enough to put up with a union.Unions seem to be great for cry babies and guys or gals who want to get buy with doing the minimam work required.Don't be stupid and think this union push is a great thing.auto workers, ATT Layoffs,Fairpoint can't be far behind.Just think before you sign
December 14, 2008 10:00 AM
Anonymous said...
Big paychecks for the top people at time warner and piss for the ones doing the work.
Time warner is a world wide company and very profitable.
Some of us realize that we are not paid and treated fair for our work.
Hard working tech that only wants a fair deal.
December 14, 2008 4:44 PM
Anonymous said...
Life aint a free ride. If ya want that big juicy union pay check your gona hafta fight for it.
Dont listen to the nay sayers who are happy with half a paycheck ,push for the good deal.
Layoffs cant happen in a company that is understaffed by 50 %.
Reality time.
December 14, 2008 5:31 PM
Anonymous said...
11 cent raises
chump bonus
one bedroom apt shit vehicle
unreasonable work loads
piss pay checks
fat promises
career path that wont last
ceos geting miilions
how bad does it have to get before we say enough is enough ?.
December 15, 2008 10:48 PM
Anonymous said...
lets hire twice as many people and pay them twice as much..
December 16, 2008 6:54 AM
Anonymous said...
fair pay and a fair amount of work is not much to ask for.
a job with a future is all i want.
one room apt with shit vehicle is no way to live.
December 16, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
Ok i have to admit that i have been waiting for the company to make some improvements with my job. But it just is not happening. I have come to realize that the only way we will see any improvements in our jobs is by standing together. The company seems to make plenty of money but it doesnot make it to my pacheck. I work hard and should be paid better.
Pinching pennys in small town maine.
December 19, 2008 6:31 PM
Anonymous said...
great improvements take great efforts. if we sit back and wait for great things to happen we will be waiting a very long time.
get up and take action.
December 20, 2008 10:56 PM
Anonymous said...
meeting on jan 8 th. any of you folks want to get involved nows your chance.
December 24, 2008 9:53 PM
Anonymous said...
IMPOSSIBLE IS JUST A BIG WORD THROWN AROUND BY SMALL MEN WHO FIND IT EASYER TO LIVE IN THE WORLD THEY HAVE BEEN GIVEN THAN TO EXPLORE THE POWER THEY HAVE TO CHANGE IT.
NEVER GIVE UP.
December 24, 2008 11:56 PM
Anonymous said...
Meeting on jan 8 th. If you are unhappy with your job nows your chance to get involved. Dont make the mistake of thinking that someone else is going to fix the problems you have with your job.
When is the last time any one came along and improved your job?.
PROABABLY NEVER.
And it wont happen this time either, unless many of us get involved.
UNITED WE BARGAIN
DEVIDED WE BEG
December 27, 2008 7:11 AM
Anonymous said...
makes cents to me, im going to be there just tell me were the meeting is. ???.
portland tech
December 27, 2008 9:11 AM
Anonymous said...
Hope everyone had a merry cristmas.
December 28, 2008 7:20 AM
Anonymous said...
Sorry about the spelling.
December 28, 2008 7:22 AM
Anonymous said...
Its a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.
Happy new year.
January 1, 2009 2:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Sad Little Men! All you can do is Bash your employer on a web site.
Well if you had a hair on your ass you would be seeking employment elsewhere and not complianing so much.
Seriously I am paid well have a good schedule and am happy with my Job guess where I work?
Time Warner Cable Bangor Maine.
I have seen alot of Bullshit posted here and few hav actually backed it up and this tells me there are just a few Lackies trying to stirr up the shit with Management, But I can assure you they see through it all. I am confidentthey are working dilligently to ensure you are not late for work and are passing your QC checks.
after all they are the employer and you are the employee, DO NOT FORGET THAT..
Hey when are you having another meeting in Bangor I hear the last one was a HUGE Suck fest .... See You Jan 8th at Jeffs Cattering In Brewer Maine..
anarchy for all
Go Obama
January 5, 2009 9:15 PM
Anonymous said...
If your so happy with your job what are you doing on this site.
Are you realy from bangor. Are you realy a happy tech or just one more impostor on the [world wide web] having fun.
Keep it up. you may not be telling the truth but your better than a stick in the eye.
HA HA HA HA HA.
January 6, 2009 8:13 PM
Anonymous said...
Lots of cancelations today. Work safe. If you get hurt on the job you will find out you are on your own.
Seen alot of good techs let go because they got hurt since 1993.
No guts no glory
Still pushing for that union?? This is why Detroit is sinking...I bet you don't think all of your grand kids tax money will be paying for this depression. This stain will left for decades to fix. Over 12 billion of our tax money has already been paid to the unions who have their hands out. I bet you liked that huh. How did that protect you. You are not even in a union and a crap load of your hard earned dollars are already involved in this suck fest recession/depression we have sunk into. The only reason the big 3 are going down is because of the unions and their current inability to cope with salary cuts across the board-soon they will lay off thousands of "union" employees as the union has sucked the lifeline blood from the veins of companies. Look around who are you kidding? Still Pro huh? Well as far as I am concerned go work somewhere else candy asses- call me and let me know how your benefits and wages are somewhere else right now. Focus on your job and dont be a fool.
More management crap.
The more i hear the more i realize that we need union protection.
Detroit has been sending jobs over seas for years because those people will work all day for a rice ball and a fish head.
I guess when you have been holding a chair down and pushing paper for too many years your brain gets soft and you cant tell the truth if your life depended on it.
Look at the union workers all around us they get better pay and are treated better than we are.
Keep up your bullshit story some one might buy it but not me.
Yeah lets talk about a completely different trade, auto workers are you retarded?? I haven't heard of any power or phone company's laying people off because of a union. Further Fairpoint and CMP both hire you as a contractor first and if you do well then you get union rep and all the benifits that come with haveing a union. What are you afraid of?? The first vote is just to get represetation. NOT a contract if we don't like what they can get us then we don't do it. Why not see or can you get out from under that desk
99% of us know that unions are very good for us in our employment. Maybe some day enough of us will get involved and we can have a conract we can brag about.
Until then dont hold your breath waiting for TWC to fix our job related problems.
if 99% of us wanted the union why can't you seem to get 50% plus 1 to sign your cards
if 99% of us wanted the union why can't you seem to get 50% plus 1 to sign your cards
Any one talked to fair point or cmp lately ?. Bet they got good raises this year.
Yeah we got a raise a few months back because we were talkin union only to find out we got short changed on our yearly cost of livin increase.
surprise
surprise
When will we learn ???.
It was good and fun to dream for a while.
Good wages, fair work loads and all the good stuff that union workers get but now it time to get back to reality.
Maybe next time we have a chance to join together and form a union we will make better choices.
FLY ON THE WALL
Whats this ?. I have to be certified to climb with the buck squeeeeze before i can take my practical. When the union reps told us to look out for tricks from time warner they were not jokin.
Did we all se the email about time warners goals of 28 % percent increase in comercial bizz.
Did any one get a 28 % percent raise ???.
Keep your eyes and ears open the fun has just started.
That career path looked good at first but now we are seeing the light.
Listen up
We just lost a good worker and a very good person [jay jay]. portland I/R. [ got fired] Why ??? because he cut two saplins to get his ladder to a pole to replace a drop.
The person who made the call to fire [jay jay] is hiding behind his desk and sent [roach man] to do the dirty work.
Maybe two saplins are more important than a techs safty.
The longer i work for TIME WARNER the more i realize how much WHITE COLLAR LOW LIFE is part of this
business.
God save us all.
listen up boys and girls.
verison has applyed for residential license in some of the towns in maine.
And we all know what that means.
COMPETITION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Maybe FTTH fiber to the home.
Time dont stand still for long.
We better stay on our toes it wont be long before twisted pair and coax is a thing of the past.
Good thing time warner is leting us take fiber courses we might need that skill in the future.
ohmega
A life lived in fear is a life half lived.
go to the meetings this weekend ,
you will hear how much pension plans will go away and how you raises will decrease.....
GO IBEW ROFLMAO
Just look at time warners annual report. comercial bizz up 17 %.
WOW maybe we can get a real raise now.
HA HA HA HA HA.
Dont hold your breath.
Wow the CEO got a 8 million dollar bonus $$$$$$$$.
What happend to the rest of us ?.
WHITE COLLAR GREED.
GO IBEW
I have been hearing bad talk about the carrer path.
I have just finished a course and ordered a new one. I wonder how long it will take to get it ?.
Will there be delays,foot draging,etc.
It shouldnt take more than a week to get my new course.
Vote to strike lose your income to support the new hires >>>>
Your Job is great get used to it
Fuck the IBEW thanks for striking
What strike are you talking about ?.
98 % of the time contract problems are solved without strikes.
The only time strikes take place is when the workers vote to strike.
Voice of reason.
What happened to the career path ?.
We are being held back from taking more courses.
It looked good on paper and thats about it.
The union people told us this would happen and they were right.
A house divided cannot stand.
Only when we learn to stand together will we solve our common problems.
Until then we will have to fend for ourselves [good luck with that strategy].
The headend techs are now doing installs.
Talk about a slap in the face.
Some of these people have 15 to 20 years with the company and there being treated like new hires.
Whats next ?.
How many techs have had access to the carrer path courses and received all the money that was promised ?.
Speak now or forever hold your peace.
Give it up Faggots
You Sucked out loud
Cant get the big raises that were promised if you get a rite up.
Carrier path looked good on paper but thats it.
When will we learn.
half the guys in my dept have been written up to stop them from getting the carrier path money.
when you talk to managment about this there standard response is to deny this is happening and change the subject with a strange look on there face.
Not much for activity on this site lately.
Are we happy or did our testicles get small when it came time to step up and take action.
Not much action on this site latly.
Any one out there want to chat.
Any one happy or unhappy with there job.
Any one had any luck salt water fishin latly.
Stripers flounder ???.
Lets talk.
Looks like were geting new leadership in portland.
It was a sad ending to see someone write there own obituary.
Like an old dog that cant get around any more it is time for him to be put down.
It will take some time to fix the mess that was left behind.
Maybe the top brass at TWC saw that to much damage was being done and it was time for a replacment.
EVERY DOG HAS HIS DAY.
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