On Wednesday, July 2, 2014 6:15:23 PM UTC-4, Adam H. Kerman wrote:   
      
   > Another point: It's not just legacy telephone plant, but legacy union   
   contracts tied to legacy telephone plant, versus hiring contractors to do   
   installations. They're paring down their payroll.   
      
   For years, they've been dropping legacy union employees as well as using   
   contractors on legacy plant.  There are relatively very few legacy union   
   workers left.   
      
   I believe not long ago they went on strike for a few months to protest a   
   benefit cut, and got nothing out of it.   
      
   Side note:  certain conservative quarters are screaming about how unions are   
   ruining the countries (sometimes you see the nuts in rec.arts.tv), yet the   
   percentage of workers represented by unions goes down every year.  SEPTA's   
   transit-side workers are    
   without a contract but still working.  Years ago that would be unheard   
   of--they'd walk until they got a new good contract.   
      
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