Republican FCC releases anti-worker OTMR proposal

The Republican-dominated FCC, led by Trump’s Chairman Ajit Pai, released its proposal for a so-called “one-touch, make-ready” (OTMR) policy. OTMR is a policy that would allow companies that want to add equipment to a utility pole to move other companies’ pre-existing equipment on a utility pole. The Commission will vote to adopt the proposal on Aug. 2.

It sounds simple enough, but there are serious – and dangerous – implications to the FCC’s OTMR proposal. As CWA has repeatedly told the Commission: pole attachment work is complex and, if done incorrectly, can lead to dangerous conditions for workers and the public. Unskilled work could leave heavy cable and terminals hanging without proper support. Ungrounded wires could cause electrocution risks. Incorrect placement or overloading equipment on damaged or decaying poles could lead to poles falling into private property or the public right-of-way.

There are economic implications to the Commission’s proposal as well. It would allow contractors to do work currently done by highly trained career employees, who know the equipment and the conditions of utility poles. By adopting this proposal, the Commission is turning good, middle-class jobs into low-wage contractor jobs. “CWA-represented technicians earn good family-supporting wages and benefits,” CWA wrote in an ex parte. “In contrast, contractors advertise lineman positions for $15-19 per hour – about 40 percent less than the earnings of a union field technician.”

More than 20 lawmakers have weighed in urging the Commission to consider its proposal’s impact on public and worker safety, customer service, and collective bargaining agreements. “I recognize that streamlining pole attachment make-ready processes sounds like a good idea, but the unintended consequences of a process that bypasses skilled workers could threaten worker safety and disrupt service to customers,” said Senator Doug Jones (D-AL) in a letter.

So far, Pai and the Commission have ignored calls to protect public safety, customer service, and good jobs. The Commission is set to adopt this dangerous proposal on Aug. 2 – unless we stop them.

Links:

One-touch, make-ready public draft Order (FCC, July 13, 2018)

Bipartisan group of legislators calls on FCC to protect public safety and honor collective bargaining agreements (Speed Matters, May 25, 2018)

AT&T, Frontier urge FCC to adopt pole attachment rules that honor union contracts (Speed Matters, Aug. 1, 2017)

Verizon wants the FCC to violate union contracts (Speed Matters, July 26, 2017)