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.

Comments

Your cable TV provider?

[drnb]

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? ;-)

Re:Where to now?

[Karl Cocknozzle]

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.

Re:Not entirely true

[myth24601]

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

You must be new here.

Re:Where to now?

[Anonymous Coward]

Try moving to a country with a free market.