Date: Wed, 26 Aug 92 00:26 PDT
From: john@zygot.ati.com (John Higdon)
Newsgroups: comp.dcom.telecom
Subject: Re: GTE California Changes
Reply-To: John Higdon <john@zygot.ati.com>
Organization: Green Hills and Cows
X-Submissions-To: telecom@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Administrivia-To: telecom-request@eecs.nwu.edu
X-Telecom-Digest: Volume 12, Issue 666, Message 7 of 13

HOLDREGE_MP <HOLDREGE+_MP%A1%PacifiCare@mcimail.com> writes:

> GTE California, the state's second-largest telephone company, plans to
> close the LA area facilities and transfer as many as 400 jobs out of
> state, union officials said Tuesday.

It does not stop does it? I have to admit that this even surprised me.
Actually I am very delighted: now the SoCal people can experience the
joy of dealing with someone who confuses Santa Monica with Santa
Barbara (hell, they're all 'Santas' aren't they???). Now everyone in
CA with GTE "service" can try talking with people with southern
accents.  Oh well, people who cannot help you, cannot help you.

> GTE officials confirmed plans to close the company's Norwalk and
> Thousand Oaks long-distance access centers, which employ 255 people.

Really dedicated to the communities that it "serves", no?

> A GTE spokeman said that the job transfers are a part of a continuing
> effort to consolidate operations at company facilities in Texas, North
> Carolina and Florida, and to automate jobs now performed by humans.

Is it not funny that Pacific Telesis can be located fully within
California, use local reps and business offices, maintain local
walk-in facilities, fully integrate with the served community, and
even contribute to local, regional, and state funds for the arts and
philanthopic causes, and STILL provide real telephone service at much
less cost than GTE?

> The company is also considering closing its Long Beach network
> operations monitoring center, which could imperil another 160 jobs.

Well, I do not blame them for doing that. The phone service in Long
Beach stinks. I would move, too. In fact, a client is moving!

> While I can't blame any business from wanting to leave California,
> what with the crazy laws, high insurance and benefits corruption, I am
> upset that our phone company is pulling out.

Pac*Bell seems to be able to make it in California. My phone company
is not leaving. And I pay less for my phone service than you do;
Pac*Bell's tariffed rates have always been lower than GTE's.

> Is is especially upsetting that the Network Operations Monitoring
> center is leaving. The center, which opened only six months ago, was
> responsible for alerting technicians to problems. Who is going to do
> this now? Computers in Texas?

Probably no one. But then I doubt that you will notice any service
level reduction. It could not get much worse. I have reported trouble
in the Los Gatos CO on a Friday night, but of course it is Monday or
Tuesday before GTE can fly someone up from southern California to fix
it.

There is an amusing story here. After calling GTE repair repeatedly
(necessary to get ANYTHING fixed), someone from the "network control
center" called me on Saturday to tell me that they were on top of the
problem. The problem, he said, was that someone had removed some of
the wiring improperly from the frames. He could see the problem from
his terminal right there (in Long Beach?). Well, I guess I was
impressed!  "So how long to fix it?", I asked. "Should take no time at
all once we get someone up there -- no later than Tuesday."


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 264 4115
    john@zygot.ati.com      | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !