Since I started these comments, I feel the need to keep going, but not to each one. One gentleman responded as if "managers" are not what keeps the company going. Not true. Get with the 21st century. You cannot do it all with paper and pliers. I work in IT and the systems we develop and maintain are what keeps the company going in this day and age, just as much as the field. Without the advanced systems and qualified personnel who develop and maintain them, SBC couldn’t compete. Just remember, not all of the management is in a supervisory role of union members, and with the exception of the top brass, we have NOTHING o do with contract negotiations. We ALL make the company work, and cannot afford the loss of any group.
Jealous of the union, and had the chance to be union???? I did not spend 4 years in the Marine Corps, and 5 years working through college on my BSEE, which cost me a mere $50K, so I could be part of society of lemmings. I am greedy. I want my pay scale to rise as fast as it can. I don’t care if it rises faster than my peers. I work harder than many, and I have always exceeded my goals. With merit increase of around 3%, some get more, some get less. It is commensurate with your performance, not we all climb the scale together. This is America. Union’s had a place many years ago, but they are no longer needed. Sorry, that’s the way I and many analysts see it.
Lastly, if you want to share in the company’s profits, or feel you are entitled to them, find a job with a private, family owned business and become "one of the family". SBC is a publicly traded company, and as such, it MUST show growth to its investors, or it won’t have any investors. Want to complain about Whitaker’s salary? That’s America as a whole and not limited to SBC. It’s in line with other large companies. I don’t care for it, but he’s not giving any of it back and nor would I.
So many people would be thankful to have a job. A company says, "Hey, want to come work for me? I’ll pay you handsomely to do yada yada yada. I’m making any guarantees, but as long as the company is growing and you perform well, you’ll have a job." Do you know how many would take that job? Everyone. You have to prepare for your own future and not demand that the company or government will do it for you. That’s the irresponsible way. NOBODY owes anybody anything. You are paid for the job you do today. The company promises that and lives up to the promise. You cannot ask them to commit to a guarantee of your life, when they don’t have a guarantee of theirs.
SBC needs the union employees, because they are damn good at what they do. They are well trained and experienced. But SBC, and the union members, don’t need the union. You would all be well paid, you would just fall into the same uncertainty as managers and the majority of America. It’s not that bad. SOme years are GREAT, and some are not. But every year I thank God I have a job, and I plan for tomorrow. The union’s certainty is only 3-5 years at a time, and even so, I believe it is 20,000 that have since been laid off. SOme guarantee the union got them. CWA doesn’t even want to cough up any money for the strike until you have suffered at least 14 days, then it’s only a couple days wages for a full week of strike duty.
Had to be said.
Since I started these comments, I feel the need to keep going, but not to each one. One gentleman responded as if "managers" are not what keeps the company going. Not true. Get with the 21st century. You cannot do it all with paper and pliers. I work in IT and the systems we develop and maintain are what keeps the company going in this day and age, just as much as the field. Without the advanced systems and qualified personnel who develop and maintain them, SBC couldn’t compete. Just remember, not all of the management is in a supervisory role of union members, and with the exception of the top brass, we have NOTHING o do with contract negotiations. We ALL make the company work, and cannot afford the loss of any group.
Jealous of the union, and had the chance to be union???? I did not spend 4 years in the Marine Corps, and 5 years working through college on my BSEE, which cost me a mere $50K, so I could be part of society of lemmings. I am greedy. I want my pay scale to rise as fast as it can. I don’t care if it rises faster than my peers. I work harder than many, and I have always exceeded my goals. With merit increase of around 3%, some get more, some get less. It is commensurate with your performance, not we all climb the scale together. This is America. Union’s had a place many years ago, but they are no longer needed. Sorry, that’s the way I and many analysts see it.
Lastly, if you want to share in the company’s profits, or feel you are entitled to them, find a job with a private, family owned business and become "one of the family". SBC is a publicly traded company, and as such, it MUST show growth to its investors, or it won’t have any investors. Want to complain about Whitaker’s salary? That’s America as a whole and not limited to SBC. It’s in line with other large companies. I don’t care for it, but he’s not giving any of it back and nor would I.
So many people would be thankful to have a job. A company says, "Hey, want to come work for me? I’ll pay you handsomely to do yada yada yada. I’m making any guarantees, but as long as the company is growing and you perform well, you’ll have a job." Do you know how many would take that job? Everyone. You have to prepare for your own future and not demand that the company or government will do it for you. That’s the irresponsible way. NOBODY owes anybody anything. You are paid for the job you do today. The company promises that and lives up to the promise. You cannot ask them to commit to a guarantee of your life, when they don’t have a guarantee of theirs.
SBC needs the union employees, because they are damn good at what they do. They are well trained and experienced. But SBC, and the union members, don’t need the union. You would all be well paid, you would just fall into the same uncertainty as managers and the majority of America. It’s not that bad. SOme years are GREAT, and some are not. But every year I thank God I have a job, and I plan for tomorrow. The union’s certainty is only 3-5 years at a time, and even so, I believe it is 20,000 that have since been laid off. SOme guarantee the union got them. CWA doesn’t even want to cough up any money for the strike until you have suffered at least 14 days, then it’s only a couple days wages for a full week of strike duty.
Had to be said.