Slashdot Mirror


Verizon Workers Can Now Be Fired If They Fix Copper Phone Lines (arstechnica.com)

Verizon has told its field technicians in Pennsylvania that they can be fired if they try to fix broken copper phone lines. Instead, employees must try to replace copper lines with a device that connects to Verizon Wireless's cell phone network, ArsTechnica reports. From the article:This directive came in a memo from Verizon to workers on September 20. "Failure to follow this directive may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal," the memo said. It isn't clear whether this policy has been applied to Verizon workers outside of Pennsylvania. The memo and other documents were made public by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, which asked the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to put a stop to the forced copper-to-wireless conversions. The wireless home phone service, VoiceLink, is not a proper replacement for copper phone lines because it doesn't work with security alarms, fax machines, medical devices such as pacemakers that require telephone monitoring, and other services, the union said.

7 of 314 comments (clear)

  1. Your cable TV provider? by drnb · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm sure your cable TV provider could provide you with a land line. Hmm ... maybe you need to become more tolerant of douche bags? ;-)

    1. Re:Your cable TV provider? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Vote Cthulhu for President, why vote for the lesser of two evils?

  2. Re:Where to now? by Karl+Cocknozzle · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm considering rigging up a string and tin-cans contraption, myself.

    It sort of reminds me of the South Park where Mr. Garrison invents the world's ultimate transportation device--it goes 300 MPH safely on the ground, allowing us to simply skip out on the humiliation of being groped in airport security lines. It does require the operator to insert a "safety wand" into their ass, and the countrols are manipulated using a phallic object via the tongue, but as all the people trying it out say "Well, it's a little uncomfortable at first, but still beats dealing with the airlines..."

    Mobile phone carriers and telephone companies in general are arriving at that level of hatred--people would rather be literally dry ass-fucked uncomfortably for hours than deal with them.

    --
    Who did what now?
  3. Re:Not entirely true by myth24601 · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm not defending Verizon, but the headline here is misleading.

    You must be new here.

    --
    No matter where you go, there you are.
  4. Re:Where to now? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Try moving to a country with a free market.

  5. Re:in related news by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'd be pretty upset if I called my vet to come see why my horse is sick and they simply shot my horse and gave me a bicycle.

  6. Re:A vote for Dem validates the tactics of the DNC by drnb · · Score: 2, Funny

    The party won't reform....because post-Trump there won't BE an America to vote IN!!!

    Later when you get to high school you will have to take a US Government class. When you take that class you will learn that our government is organized into three separate branches that can stalemate each other. That no one branch, and more importantly no one person - even the President, can get much done without the cooperation of the other branches.

    I think the class will also mention that the military and law enforcement also swears their loyalty to the Constitution of the United States, not the temporary occupant of the White House and are taught to disobey illegal and unconstitutional orders. I'm not 100% sure this is covered in class, my familiarity with this may be due to having sworn such an oath.