bob@rel.mi.org (Bob Leffler) (08/16/89)
Somebody cut 1800 pairs with a chainsaw today. Service was interupted for Mich Bell customers in Troy and Madison Heights area. Service was also interupted to a local hospital, but Mich Bell established service to the hospital with mobile phones until the lines can be repaired. The lines were cut in such a way that makes it extremely difficult to repair according to a local news report. The union denies that any of their members has anything to do with this incident. My personal opinion is that the timing is too close to the strike to not be a disgrutled employee. It's too bad that the strikes occur in the first place, but this type of activity can't be tolerated.
aem@ibiza.cs.miami.edu (a.e.mossberg) (08/17/89)
bob@rel.mi.org (Bob Leffler) writes: >The union denies that any of their members has anything to do with this >incident. My personal opinion is that the timing is too close to >the strike to not be a disgrutled employee. It is very rare for unions to encourage or know of any activities like this by individual members. Unfortunately, people who already have strong anti-union sentiments use incidents like this to cast shadows on unions and union activity in general. Management has done these type of things far more often than unions, just to try to make unions look bad, which helps management to break unions and further exploit workers. Followups via email please. aem a.e.mossberg - aem@mthvax.cs.miami.edu/aem@umiami.BITNET - Pahayokee Bioregion Chances that a homeless American holds a full- or part-time jobs: 1 in 5 - Harper's Index 2/89
wnp@attctc.dallas.tx.us (Wolf Paul) (08/18/89)
In article <telecom-v09i0303m06@vector.dallas.tx.us aem@mthvax.cs.miami.edu writes: >bob@rel.mi.org (Bob Leffler) writes: >>The union denies that any of their members has anything to do with this >>incident. My personal opinion is that the timing is too close to >>the strike to not be a disgrutled employee. > >It is very rare for unions to encourage or know of any activities like this >by individual members. Unfortunately, people who already have strong >anti-union sentiments use incidents like this to cast shadows on unions and >union activity >in general. Management has done these type of things far more often than >unions, just to try to make unions look bad, which helps management to break >unions and further exploit workers. >Followups via email please. There was a time in labor relations when both unions and management engaged in these kinds of tactics; if you maintain that management still uses these as widely as you seem to imply, you ought to back it up with some statistics, not just make a statement like this. It could well have been a disgruntled employee, without the union being aware of it or having encouraged it. As someone else pointed out, the Baby Bells really have nothing to lose: People are still using the phones, while they are paying fewer employees, and if the service deteriorates, that's all right, people have nowhere else to turn anyway. Therefore I do not see the Baby Bells using such drastic and potentially backfiring tactics. We're talking federal offense here. And b.t.w: having made a controversial statement, don't try to discourage public discussion of it by redirecting to email. That's a cop-out. -- Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101 UUCP: {texbell, attctc, dalsqnt}!dcs!wnp DOMAIN: wnp@attctc.dallas.tx.us or wnp%dcs@texbell.swbt.com NOTICE: As of July 3, 1989, "killer" has become "attctc".