USIC Locator fired for sending an email.

**greek1** · August 16th, 2011, 10:55 AM

Yesterday a guy in my district was fired for sending an email pertaining how upset he was about a local utility company and their bogus emergencies.This tech has been here for 9 years and damage free for almost two years and hits production goals.The email was sent to the regional manager.I understand why he did it because no one else can do anything about this problem that has been reoccurring for years .Everyone is sick of this BS.So if I recall Mike Stayton sent an email last year stating he wants to keep all tenured locators because its better for our company.So I must ask this...If this is a true statement from our president WHY is this tech sitting at home today fired for a F*CKING EMAIL??????
I believe USIC's management is going to drive this company into the ground!!

**locator00566** · August 16th, 2011, 11:19 AM

Just another example why USIC is such a great company to work for.

**Turk182** · August 16th, 2011, 04:19 PM

Let me guess, is the utility Comed?

**greek1** · August 16th, 2011, 04:29 PM

DING DING DING DING !!! Comed is correct !!

**Turk182** · August 16th, 2011, 08:33 PM

Originally Posted by greek1

DING DING DING DING !!! Comed is correct !!

I trust the source, but this is a pure rumor, and it does make sense. Comed has been put under a bit of pressure by the union to take the locating back in house, as well as some of the work they currently subcontract instead of doing in house. By inflating the number of after hour calls they have numbers they can take back to the union to show that they can't possibly budget the overtime involved in handling these calls, the numbers don't reflect the source of the call.

AT&T is under similar pressure, but to a much smaller extent, as they can simply show the volume drop they are experiencing due to competition from cable providers, whereas Comed is the only game in town.

**FiosKing** · August 16th, 2011, 09:22 PM

why dont you guys report that company to the BPU in your state? that will get them to stop real quick with the fines if they are really non emergency.

**paintitnow** · August 16th, 2011, 10:39 PM

IF it is in IL can you complain to the ICC?

**Bad Robot** · August 17th, 2011, 07:34 AM

This is giving me a headache. So just to get this straight, this guy complains to his boss's boss. About an issue that everyone is having? And that the other bosses won't, or can't rectify? And he fires him?

But he's been clean, and makes money.

If I were you friend, I would get my resume together and get out of that nuthouse. You can't run a business like that nowadays, and expect to stick around for the long haul. Unless they don't have any plans to stick around for the long haul.

Oh, and let me guess while we're at it. You have one or more idiots on that crew about to damage out, but you'll save them by pinning one or more of their damages on the "dead" locator. And then they'll damage out shortly anyway. Leaving everyone else to pick up the slack, cover larger areas, and take on more responsibility. For no additional pay.

Any wonder why you can't get quality people to stick around in the worse economy since the Great Depression?

**locate Queen** · August 17th, 2011, 08:13 AM

Thanks to Sick politics of the Industry ! I've been around for 23 Years & its nothing New ! Business Concept ..... NEVER BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU .....

I feel Bad for that Guy , I agree with BAD ROBOT " The Best Men & Women are being Stressed to the Core By all The B.S . we are Forced to stay in the game , Turn our heads , and Shut up ..... He'd Had Enough ...... So a word to the WISER ............ CYA ......... Have A Safe DAY

**Mke** · August 17th, 2011, 09:46 AM

I guess I have a couple of different questions. One is , did he get the permission to E-mail his bosses boss? There is a reason they call it a chain of command. I understand if its a whistle blowing call and you have to take it above your boss to his boss or even higher, but bogus emergencies happen all the time. Its nothing new. I agree that its a pain in the a$$ but if I was a super, and just found out that one of the guys under my charge by passed me with a common issue and went to my boss, I'd be a little pissed. I don't think I'd be "Firing" pissed, but the firing probably came from his bosses boss. One thing management doesn't like is employees trying to get "upity" and changing the status quo.

I work with a guy who doesn't understand the chain of command and the processes of where we work. The running joke is, he has to go against his initial gut feeling on everything. I've specifically told him not to say things to our manager, and he goes ahead and says what he "thinks" he has to and within a week we have some new rule that hampers our production.

I'm not purposely sticking up for the company in firing this locator, I just think the locator should of chose a different path. If he's been in the industry that long, he knows that taking these issues to the company he works for does nothing. Its only if you get the local regulating agency or one-call center involved that starts change.

Mke

**big boots mcghee** · August 17th, 2011, 10:19 AM

Originally Posted by Mke

I guess I have a couple of different questions. One is , did he get the permission to E-mail his bosses boss? There is a reason they call it a chain of command. I understand if its a whistle blowing call and you have to take it above your boss to his boss or even higher, but bogus emergencies happen all the time. Its nothing new. I agree that its a pain in the a$$ but if I was a super, and just found out that one of the guys under my charge by passed me with a common issue and went to my boss, I'd be a little pissed. I don't think I'd be "Firing" pissed, but the firing probably came from his bosses boss. One thing management doesn't like is employees trying to get "upity" and changing the status quo.

I work with a guy who doesn't understand the chain of command and the processes of where we work. The running joke is, he has to go against his initial gut feeling on everything. I've specifically told him not to say things to our manager, and he goes ahead and says what he "thinks" he has to and within a week we have some new rule that hampers our production.

I'm not purposely sticking up for the company in firing this locator, I just think the locator should of chose a different path. If he's been in the industry that long, he knows that taking these issues to the company he works for does nothing. Its only if you get the local regulating agency or one-call center involved that starts change.

Mke

Why would we need permission to send emails or make phone calls to our upper management? What's the one thing most people in management say when they're done talking, either in a group setting or one on one? Most of them say their door is always open, no? Many of them say if there's anything anyone wants to discuss to get in touch with them, no? Most techs follow the chain of command, but many of them can confirm that their supervisors don't always respond in a timely manner, if they respond at all. The same goes for many DM's. In my neck of the woods, a lot of supervisors and DM's have indicated that the issues that bother the technicians don't affect them directly so they're not all that concerned with fixing them. So, with that in mind, why not try to bump it up to upper management? What's the worst that could happen by escalating a pressing issue to a regional manager? Oh that's right. You can now be fired for doing that.

Techs have threatened to report this particular offending contractor to the ICC, but since they are a customer of USIC the techs have been advised not to do so. It'd create a messy situation that management doesn't want to deal with, and since management doesn't want to push back on this contractor to change some of their one call practices the technicians are screwed. It doesn't help that this contractor calls in tons of emergency work, either.

This has been an issue with this particular contractor for years, but only recently has management begun to admit that they can't or won't do anything to help change it. For a couple years they encouraged the technicians to escalate any issue with this contractor up the ladder and it would be discussed at their monthly meetings with this customer, but this was just a ploy to keep the techs willing and eager. Techs got the impression that there was some sort of a partnership there. Only in the last year or so has management openly admitted there's nothing that can be done and techs are basically at the mercy of this contractor and their riduculous locate requests.

**greek1** · August 17th, 2011, 10:56 AM

The real problem is that Comed is out of control.There is nothing supervisors,DM's can do to solve the issues.Comed sees it as they pay us to locate for them and we should do what they want us to do and we shouldn't complain.Usic needs to grow a set and tell these ****ers whats up.But that will never happen because of a ceratin fat piece of shit that deals with comed on our end.This gentleman has our techs do special locates for comed engineers that want to put fences up ,and sends emails all the time comed safety this and that.My general answer is **** Comed.As for this locator...Plain and simple,dude did his job well.shouldn't have been fired.

**sprayandpray** · August 17th, 2011, 08:04 PM

I think I would have to know a lot more about this situation to make any call. What was actually in the e-mail? Did he disparage his immediate Supervisor and or DM? Without full knowledge of everything said, or written, no one can really have an informed, rational opinion in this matter.

**6feetunder** · August 17th, 2011, 10:41 PM

I have a question(s). How much money and how many jobs does this company create for the contract locating company? Don't get me wrong, I'm not defending them but the answers to these questions are the reason why the locating firm doesn't really care to address the issue. It's a small price to pay in the grand scheme of things. It sucks, I deal with this same crap and for years tried fighting it through the proper channels to no avail. The only way to fight is to get even, it's the only real thing you can do is when they make a pain in your ass you try and think of ways to be just as much a pain in theirs but don't let them know that you are purposely doing so.

**nopaint4you** · August 17th, 2011, 11:04 PM

dont forget to double access . if its so damn important then get a comed tech to assist in every comed locate (in the middle of the night too) and have them DC to all the cables for me in the transformers peds . Should definitly make sure we dont miss their undocumented replaced primary and other junk too right? oh just ground far and clip on the case bull crap. comed is a joke so is usic. Make your Junk wires locate.

No one does a damn thing about comed They are god to them. Hows about not givin out 25 + tix everyday so i (can) go play magical transformers as well. Usic will do as it wants to keep the customers happy even if it means poking the locators in the eye with a stick.