Technicians call such boxes chronic problems in Detroit.
An African-American employees group sees redlining. Union claims Ameritech provides better phone service to the suburbs. Ameritech Corporation is focusing work on suburban communities while neglecting Detroit, according to the president of the Communications Workers of America local that covers Detroit and several suburbs. The claim is based on internal company records obtained by Ameritech repair technicians and reviewed by CWA Local 4100 President Doug Jager and members of an African-American employees group suing Ameritech for alleged discrimination. The information, Jager said, shows that communities much smaller than Detroit are having old lines replaced at a rate much faster than that of the area's largest city.