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AT&T fires thousands of workers just before Christmas

posted 6 years ago by [deleted]
17 replies | jump to latest

AT&T has begun firing thousands of employees in what they are calling a 'workforce adjustment' in it's declining 'legacy services', just in time for Christmas. The news preceded AT&T's praise of Donald Trump and the GOP's new tax reform bill. In celebration of the overhaul, in which they will have their corporate tax rate lowered from 35% to 21%, they will give $1,000 bonus checks to 200,000 employees. Donald Trump praised the move by AT&T and said 'the tax overhaul is working' in his televised bill-signing Friday morning. Trump didn't mention the massive lay-offs, and how he will help those thousands of unemployed people in the south and midwest.

Across the Midwest, 600 workers were given notice they would be let go by the end of 2017, just days after the company fired 700 Direct-TV home installers and another 215 'high skilled' technicians in Southern states. The company also announced plans to fire an additional 700 workers in Texas and Missouri on February 1, 2018.

Last year, a spokesperson for AT&T confirmed decreasing their workforce by 30% in the near future was 'not out of the question'.

Not to worry - Trump has promised America he will create 'millions of high-paying jobs' during his Presidency. I'm sure there's a couple of thousand in those millions of jobs America is waiting for these days.

[–] 3840x2160 (359) 6 years ago

He has created 1.7 million new jobs, cutting unemployment to 4.1 percent. That's in only one year, mind you.

[–] Frogarama (12942) 6 years ago

And yet Trump hadn't done anything to contribute to that. Not only that, but economic upticks don't happen that quickly, even when there is actual legislation dedicated to assisting.

The uptick is largely due to the "back to business" plan from conservative business owners who openly and publicly vowed to withdraw investing/hiring/expansion while Obama was in office, hurting the country and themselves simply because they wanted to wait until they got a fellow conservative president elected.

[–] 3840x2160 (359) 6 years ago

That's preposterous but you tried your best so you get a Christmas cookie.

[–] RazoulGoozleSmog (169) 6 years ago

The DOW started rising as soon as he was elected and hasn't stopped since.

[–] doglover (8) 6 years ago

How does that help more than half of America. How does that help the mom who I donated my stove to because her son has cancer and she is barley surviving, or the family I donated my refrigerator to because they could not afford one. Or the list of people not asking for gifts but just help with food for the holiday. That does nothing about help the already wealthy.

[–] RazoulGoozleSmog (169) 6 years ago

He's not taking away healthcare you dummy, it's still going to be around.

And he just signed the tax cut bill, complain all you want about the rich getting big tax cuts, everyone is getting a tax cut, if you and your healthy family members have a job and are making enough money to pay taxes.

Either way the rich, people with money to invest, are the reason why most people are able to work so don't bite the hand that feeds you. Tax cuts on the rich and less regulation will give the rich more incentive to bring their capital back to the states, creating real jobs. Real jobs, not service job. I work 2 jobs dish washing in a town with barely any manufacturing jobs, mostly service jobs. It's dead end.

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

You're counting the minimum wage jobs that are sprouting up at 'fulfillment centers' (aka warehouses) and Dollar stores across the country? Those jobs?

What about the millions of 'high paying' jobs he promised you supporters? What about all the layoffs from corporations of higher paying jobs under his one year?

And remember what Trump and the GOP told us when Obama was in office and slashed the unemployment rate Bush left him - those numbers are fake! If they're fake for Obama, they're fake for Trump.

[–] SnagsWolf (1172) 6 years ago

Did you post every large layoff during Obama's presidency on his page?

[–] [email protected] (5501) 6 years ago

I hope you were joking with that question!! LOL I remember Doggiedaddy from our skirmishes back on the IMDB board and I bet his lips are still chapped from all the times he kissed Obama's butt. Not surprising that he rears his head and spouts hatred of the President during Christmas.

Of course if his hero Obama was president when people lost their jobs, he would turn it into a conservative "conspiracy" to starve women, widows and orphans.

[–] Keelai (31969) 6 years ago

At&T is also being sued for age discrimination. Younger workers receive a lower salary:

"Labor lawyer Stephen Console, whose firm Console Mattiacci is representing workers suing AT&T in Trenton, NJ for age discrimination, alleges AT&T came up with a plan to replace its aging workforce with a younger one by the year 2020."

"Technology improvements" are responsible for some layoffs too.

"AT&T last year showed its financial support for the Trump administration donating $2.1 million to his inauguration, according to public records.

Randall Stephenson, CEO of AT&T is also president of the Boy Scouts of America and arranged for Trump this year to speak in front of the scouts.

Still, Trump’s Department of Justice last month sued to block AT&T’s $85 billion deal to buy the Time Warner deal. Some speculate this week’s announcements about bonuses and jobs are a bid to curry favor with the White House."

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

[deleted]

[–] RazoulGoozleSmog (169) 6 years ago

"Last year, a spokesperson for AT&T confirmed decreasing their workforce by 30% in the near future was 'not out of the question'. "

Seems like this has been in the talks even before the tax cuts were proposed, so what do they have to do with each other?

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

Everything. Last year, there was no substantial tax deduction for AT& T under Obama, and no chance in the future under Hillary.

This year under T-rump, there is - so why fire thousands of employees when you're getting a nice big tax credit in 2018? This isn't what T-rump told his hrd-working supporters in the middle class and lower classes. He told them the big corporations were going to trickle down their tax savings into their paychecks, so they can earn a decent wage. AT&T decided to fire them.

[–] RazoulGoozleSmog (169) 6 years ago

The tax cut bill wasn't signed until this month, you claim AT&T has been in the talks about firing off 30% of its workload since last year. soooo... what are you getting at?

[–] [deleted] 6 years ago

OK - I'll connect the dots for you...

T-rump ran on massive tax cuts for corporations, something Hillary didn't do. He wanted to do this - and wipe out Obamacare - his first week in office. Then he realized that this is a democracy and he's not a dictator (though he tries so hard!). So this dragged on and on (after he could not get anything passed through Congress) , and finally this picked up steam last month before Thanksgiving when the GOP said this would get passed before Christmas. And voila - AT&T then announced at the same time last month they would fire thousands, despite the huge tax cut coming their way in a matter of weeks.

[–] RazoulGoozleSmog (169) 6 years ago

They were DirectTV workers, as one guy said in the thread he got rid of his cable, as are many others.

Cable TV is dying with stuff like Netflix and the internet around.

Do you have fun worshiping the mainstream news, while criticizing it for its lies all the time?

[–] Bubbathegut (17225) 6 years ago

Wouldn't that be Obama's fault?