Local News Report about Fed Up D* Installers
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------------------------------stevo/65 said:hey mooman, can you keep us up to date with this story , when new info comes out ? Thanks Buddy
Nearly 40 DirectTV Techs Fired After Local 6 Report
Installers Disclose Policy They Say Forced Them To Lie To Customers
POSTED: 10:47 pm EDT May 4, 2006
UPDATED: 11:26 am EDT May 5, 2006
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Nearly 40 DirectTV installers were fired this week after giving on-camera interviews to Local 6 News about a company policy they say forced them to lie to Florida customers.
The DirectTV technicians gave interviews to Local 6 News reporter Nancy Alvarez and discussed the policy that they believe costs them and their customers money.
They said their supervisors have been putting pressure on them by deducting $5 from their paychecks for every DirectTV receiver who is not connected to a phone line, the report said.
Local 6 News reported that phone lines are not necessary for a DirectTV system but having them enhances the service -- allowing customers to order movies through a remote control instead of through the phone or over the Internet.
But the report found that every phone line connected to a receiver means more money for DirectTV and Mastec -- the contractor for whom the men work, Alvarez said.
"Speaking out to Local 6 has apparently cost these DirectTV installers their jobs," Alvarez said.
The mass firings came two days after the report uncovered the apparent practice that has cost the workers and possibly their customers hundreds of dollars, according to the report.
"I believe it's retaliation for going to Channel 6 with a legitimate news story about how we're being treated here and how the public is being deceived," technician Mark Hemenn said.
Thursday, the technicians protested the mass firings outside of Mastec's Orlando office.
"For giving a company 20 months, pretty good track record with them and for them to do this because we exposed their policy?" technician Joseph Guest said. "It doesn't make any sense."
"If we don't lie to customers, we get back-charged for it and we don't make money," an installer said.
The bosses at Mastec's Orlando office had no comment when Local 6 News first investigated the allegations, the report said.
They also had no comment Thursday.
The technicians plan to move forward with plans for legal action against their former employer.
"At the end of the day, are you sorry you spoke out about what was happening to you?" Alvarez asked.
"Not a bit," Jim Hehmann said. "I'd do it again right now."
"The next step for these employees will likely be to file a whistleblower claim with the National Labor Relations Board in Tampa," Alvarez said. "And the attorney general's office is already investigating their claims that they were ordered to lie to customers."
Mastec sent Local 6 News a letter after the initial investigation aired, saying the report misrepresented some of the facts.
DirectTV never returned any Local 6 calls.
Watch Local 6 News for more on this story.
Previous Stories:
May 1, 2006: DirectTV Techs: Policy Makes Lying Part Of Job
galt said:
Yes, as a matter of fact, I am surrprised... Would you terminate some 40 employees, if the Attorney General of your State, was looking into your business practices???
That was about as dumb a move, that I've ever seen!!! But hey, consider the source!!! These people are all, dumber than a "Box of Rocks"... RONTGLMAO...
Are you an Installation Tech Galt??? I see you haven't posted a lot!!!
goaliebob99 said:
I am not saying it was a smart move, but if a contracting company fires their own employees, how does DirecTV factor into the trouble?
They have good leg to stand on, that is why they (former tecs) were fired.
I wonder how many tecs that read this site work for MASTEC across the country?
If you are a MASTEC employee ,then maybe now is the time to speak up and let our friends (former mastecs) down in florida know that if their laywer needs more testimony from other mastec employees located across this country , then it would be a big factor in stopping the madness of slave labor with the MASTEC scumbags.
I know for a fact they( MASTEC scumbags) are doing it here at Texas as well.
I wonder how many tecs that read this site work for MASTEC across the country?
If you are a MASTEC employee ,then maybe now is the time to speak up and let our friends (former mastecs) down in florida know that if their laywer needs more testimony from other mastec employees located across this country , then it would be a big factor in stopping the madness of slave labor with the MASTEC scumbags.
I know for a fact they( MASTEC scumbags) are doing it here at Texas as well.
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stevo/65 said:They have good leg to stand on, that is why they (former tecs) were fired.
I wonder how many tecs that read this site work for MASTEC across the country?
If you are a MASTEC employee ,then maybe now is the time to speak up and let our friends (former mastecs) down in florida know that if their laywer needs more testimony from other mastec employees located across this country , then it would be a big factor in stopping the madness of slave labor with the MASTEC scumbags.
I know for a fact they( MASTEC scumbags) are doing it here at Texas as well.
Stevo/65,
I am sure that the Attorney General will be asking a lot of questions, of a lot of people.... You have a good idea, in that all of these Mastec Employees, need to speak up now...
Thanks Doctor Bob,Doctor Bob said:
I really feel that companies like MASTEC will take advantage of customers lack of knowledge of the phone line situation being mandatory , so they can get more money but also expect the tec to put phone lines in for no cost . That company (MASTEC) is all about crooked buisness practice and would not be suprised to hear about how many tecs and their families they have burned. Check out some of the reports on them.
http://2100weekly.com/cgi-bin/satreviews/stars2.pl?mastec
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stevo/65 said:
It gets more interesting!!! They just settled a Class Action Suit for 10 Million!!! See Below
Here is the correct Suite... But there is a lot more going on with these folks... LOL
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP and Yourman Alexander & Parekh LLP Announce $10 Million Settlement With MasTec, Inc. and Certain Individual Defendants in Securities Class Action
Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP ("BLB&G") and Yourman Alexander & Parekh LLP ("YA&P"), the Court-appointed Co-Lead Counsel for the Class in In re MasTec Securities Litigation, today announced that MasTec, Inc. (NYSE: MTZ) ("MasTec" or the "Company") and certain of its current and former officers and directors have agreed to settle all claims asserted against them in this Action for the sum of $10 million in cash.
More information here: http://www.tradingmarkets.com/tm.site/daytrading/quotescharts/?qm_symbol=MTZ
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Thanx to a lot of you, for sending those MasTec guys and gals my way, and thanx to those of you who wanted to be put in contact with the Attorney's group... I have sent several names over to the private investigator, that is doing the interviewing...
Thanx again, to everyone!!!
Thanx again, to everyone!!!
I'm not sure if they are the number one MSP or exactly who the largest MSP is??? It could be Ironwood Communications for all I know! Only one thing is for sure, and that is, it's going to cost them a lot of money to resolve all of the issues... LOL
its the only thing they do for free
you dont have a line of sight so Im gonna charge 80 bucks for this here pole mount even though its a well known fact that I and my fellow reputable installers never charge customers for pole mounts for line, ( i also placed the dish in front of a tree and then showed up to fix my incomplete install and then walked off the job because I'm not getting paid to do a dish relocation even though I installed it and it was less than 90 days ago.) of sight or ask for checks written in my name or to cash, installers have never asked a customer for beer nor put a dish up in the middle of winter right in front of a tree, nah most of them are honest intelligent people, actually there are some awesom techs out there but some of you suck ass big time, you know who you are, do us all a favor and go work for taco bell. btw all issues mentioned are true., the latest and greatest was where an installer was installing for the father of a Dtv employee and charged him 80 dollars for a pole mount for line of sight, guess what, after doing follow up for csm serv for this dt employees father ,that installer and his supervisor were fired i found out, pleasantly surprised, thats justice if you f%*k the wrong peeps.:devil:
you dont have a line of sight so Im gonna charge 80 bucks for this here pole mount even though its a well known fact that I and my fellow reputable installers never charge customers for pole mounts for line, ( i also placed the dish in front of a tree and then showed up to fix my incomplete install and then walked off the job because I'm not getting paid to do a dish relocation even though I installed it and it was less than 90 days ago.) of sight or ask for checks written in my name or to cash, installers have never asked a customer for beer nor put a dish up in the middle of winter right in front of a tree, nah most of them are honest intelligent people, actually there are some awesom techs out there but some of you suck ass big time, you know who you are, do us all a favor and go work for taco bell. btw all issues mentioned are true., the latest and greatest was where an installer was installing for the father of a Dtv employee and charged him 80 dollars for a pole mount for line of sight, guess what, after doing follow up for csm serv for this dt employees father ,that installer and his supervisor were fired i found out, pleasantly surprised, thats justice if you f%*k the wrong peeps.:devil:
edchuckndoug said:
You get what you pay for.....If you hire a bunch of hillbillies (who drink on the job) who use to work at taco bell and pay them not much more then tacobell to install satellites for you and expect professionalism... then you are a fool for thinking so.
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