Yet another story from an ex-Cox employee.......

Submitted by Don Vito on May 5, 2008 - 6:45pm.

To all fellow telecommunication technicians, The only reason why I'm writing this is because I have many friends that work for Cox Communications and I want all of them to have the best possible life for themselves and there families. I personally don't really care if Cox is unionized or not although it would be great for the union to gain many new and experienced techs. All I want to do it to tell my story and educate people on how the IBEW 2323 has changed my life in the past year. I worked at Cox for about 9 years, both as a in house tech and contractor. I loved the trade and I don't want to do anything else. I love working on my own, troubleshoot problems, meeting customers everyday (most of them) and installing a service. I didn't like the corporate games and production & performance programs. I think I can speak for most techs when I say, all a tech wants to do is have the ability to perform there trade to the best of their ability without feeling the corporate pressure of meeting certain production & performance numbers. I left Cox because of the wages, benefits and working conditions. I can honestly say that I make twice as much money now than I did a year and a half ago with reasonable overtime. I also have a guaranteed raise in 4 more months. I left Cox after 9 years of service making $17.70 per hour. I now make $26.60 per hour after 1 year with my current employer. AFTER 8 YEARS OF SERVICE I RECIEVED A RAISE TO START AT VERIZON. Because of the IBEW and all of the men and women who bargained before me and the availability of overtime (53.00 per hour after 10 hrs), my wife is now able to stay home to raise our 2 boys. I also have the comfort to know that if she had to go back to work my current employer would pay for child care. How can 2 telecommunication companies in RI be so different in offering health benefits. Cox is competing with Verizon for customers, It's about time Cox employees step up and demand they compete for employees as well. Cox techs need to demand a proper voltage detector, rubber gloves, ladder straps etc. It protects you so you can make sure you go home to your family the same way you left.
A huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. Not only has it improved my financial & family situation. I can now perform my job safely and to the best of my ability without worrying about meeting numbers and points. I can concentrate on what really matters, a quality professional job and a pleasant experience for the customer. All of my raises are known and scheduled so I know how much I can and will make in the future. They can't be taken away due to "numbers" and/or evaluation results. To know that you have fellow technicians that will stand up with you and protect the pride of our craft is incredible. I think quality has been dropping at Cox because most techs are so worried about meeting numbers, quotas and up until a year ago Sell, Sell, Sell. Meet the numbers and get a % raise based upon a complicated formula. I kept a mileage log for 2 months, I only drove under 100 miles 4 days. How can a tech working South County dealing with beach traffic, driving over 100 miles a day work to the same numbers of a tech in Warwick? It makes no sense. I guess "it all washes out in the end"...... On Thurs about 8 of us went to RI & CT Cox offices just to get the word out about GOTUNION.COM. A website that is meant to inform Cox Employees and give them the other side of the story. The side that Cox doesn't want you to see. I think the one reason Cox doesn't want a union is because they don't want to loose there power. They don't want you to have a voice. If you don't like a hiring practice or a certain policy or situation, you can't do anything about it. No one was there to cause a scene or start a problem, just simply spread the word. Supervisors came down in there ford focuses one by one, then all piled in one like a clown car. Mike Gilchrest first drove down, then walked over just to talk down to us. Ripping us one at a time, busting our balls about the contract and then calling one of us a "two face chicken shit". It was all totally unprofessional and unnecessary. We were simply there holding gotunion.com signs for the techs to see. Making the switch was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Cox is not a horrible place to work, it paid the bills for 8 years and it gave me training and valuable experience. During the past year I have experienced a much better, safer, more rewarding position where I can say, 29 more years to go... IBEW……. The right choice MINNIE ME