Breaking u.s.i.c. News

**Frank** · October 28th, 2011, 10:09 PM

1. More lay offs.

2. Discontinuing the damage free bonus.

3. 50% increase in healthcare costs.

more info to come

**Bad Robot** · October 29th, 2011, 09:32 AM

So we are going back to the old CLS days. Ex - felons, crack heads and all manner of human scum posing as "locators". Because that's what you get for 12 dollars an hour. I'm telling my boss Monday that we are going to need help, because come March I will be only running on the no show BS that will accompany this latest round of brilliant cost cutting moves by your alleged " Damage Prevention" company. May God have mercy on you all.

**jackeduponmtdew** · October 29th, 2011, 10:23 AM

4. Discontinuing the tuition reimbursement program.

5. All techs under ten years when they get to ten years will now under the new bend me over plan and will now get 144 hrs. instead of the old plan of 185.

Oh the first round of layoffs aren't really layoffs they will be strictly trimming of more fat. A layoff is when you still may have a job.

I keep telling myself I love this place, I love this place, I love this place.

**big boots mcghee** · October 29th, 2011, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by Bad Robot

So we are going back to the old CLS days. Ex - felons, crack heads and all manner of human scum posing as "locators". Because that's what you get for 12 dollars an hour. I'm telling my boss Monday that we are going to need help, because come March I will be only running on the no show BS that will accompany this latest round of brilliant cost cutting moves by your alleged " Damage Prevention" company. May God have mercy on you all.

The old CLS days.....the old Utiliquest days in Illinois were just the same. I remember when things were coming to an end for Utiliquest in Illinois and wondering what type of new screening process they were using given all of the ex-felons, crack heads, and thieves they seemed to be hiring in their last few months. Based on what I've seen hired by USIC in recent classes (and the fact that they're firing top notch tenured talent all over the place), I'd have to agree that it's gonna get very, very bad, both for the techs that make it through the storm and for the construction industry in general. However, I applaud that the chirades is over and USIC is just going to openly treat it all like it's one big joke. This way they'll blend right in with the rest of the constrution industry that treats the one call system like it's their own personal red headed stepchild.

It's funny, I often get asked by USIC management what I think it would take to keep techs around for a while in this market. I never have an answer, aside from the very obvious ones.

**Bad Robot** · October 30th, 2011, 12:30 AM

Maybe, just maybe, this will work in everyone's favor in the long run. Maybe you need to blow up the bridge, drive it into the ground, what have you. Then someone will be forced to deal with the fact that it all is long overdue for an overhaul.

I just hope nobody is killed on the way to that shakeup.

**sprayandpray** · October 30th, 2011, 09:40 AM

All of this is simply a lead-up to selling USIC to a new group of investors - hopefully before anything bad happens or we start losing contracts.

**Bad Robot** · October 30th, 2011, 10:50 AM

I agree with you Spray, but unfortunately it's too late for some people. Your company has fired many techs recently, and many of them under questionable circumstances. Looks like you see it as a cost cutting move as well. But those techs are gone, including several top notch ones that I was familiar with. I doubt we'll see them again, and I doubt you are going to have anyone with half a brain set foot in a training class of theirs from here on out. Not with the common knowledge floating around here. If someone out there is dumb enough to purchase that shell of a company, then I have a bridge for them to look at as well.

Companies like this are vermin. They are like locusts, fly in and suck everything out of an area and move on. Ultimately this is our doing, because we as a society allow this to go on in our communities.

**wiguy** · October 30th, 2011, 02:15 PM

I was told on friday when they fired me that it was going to increase production. By getting rid of 8-10 guys the other guys would have to work harder and increase production or get canned. Also they wont pay health benefits over winter while on rif so not only do you make less money on unemployment you now have to pay the company around 200-300 dollars to keep your health benefits. So all of you that are still there get screwed. It sucks that i lost my job but probably wouldve quit in the near future.usic is one of the worst companies i have ever worked for.good luck

**locator00566** · October 30th, 2011, 04:30 PM

Last time USIC started cuting cost was when they were saving up for GPS. I wonder what they are saving up for this time...Robots???

**Reece** · October 30th, 2011, 07:25 PM

Our problem is not getting enough tickets done, it is having enough daylight to do it! Going from 9 guy's to 8 would be a bad idea. We are destroying our productivity numbers now.

**pianoman** · October 30th, 2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by wiguy

I was told on friday when they fired me that it was going to increase production. By getting rid of 8-10 guys the other guys would have to work harder and increase production or get canned. Also they wont pay health benefits over winter while on rif so not only do you make less money on unemployment you now have to pay the company around 200-300 dollars to keep your health benefits. So all of you that are still there get screwed. It sucks that i lost my job but probably wouldve quit in the near future.usic is one of the worst companies i have ever worked for.good luck

USIC IS the worst company I ever worked for. As SM&P in the early 90's it was a good place to work. I came back in 09 and it had changed totally, for the worse. I was sorry I ever made the decision to come back to USIC/SM&P. When I quit my DM said I would regret it, but it was the best decision I made to leave that place.

**TheCableVine** · October 30th, 2011, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by wiguy

I was told on friday when they fired me that it was going to increase production. By getting rid of 8-10 guys the other guys would have to work harder and increase production or get canned. Also they wont pay health benefits over winter while on rif so not only do you make less money on unemployment you now have to pay the company around 200-300 dollars to keep your health benefits. So all of you that are still there get screwed. It sucks that i lost my job but probably wouldve quit in the near future.usic is one of the worst companies i have ever worked for.good luck

For them to come right out and tell you what they did is crazy. I've never heard of anyone cutting employees to increase production.

Just cause you are no longer a locator officially, doesn't mean you don't have anything to say. You will always be welcome here.

**gypsygirl** · November 9th, 2011, 05:05 PM

I guess it was a good thing that I got out when I did.....

**Bad Robot** · November 9th, 2011, 05:10 PM

Hey there Gypsy, how've you been?

**gypsygirl** · November 9th, 2011, 05:18 PM

I've been laying low for about 6 months... moved to a new state and considering getting back into locating again. (Am I crazy or what???).... Obviously, this is not the time of year to do that, but... thought I would come back on here and see how everyone is doing. How've YOU been?