Verizon Workers Go On Strike

Verizon Workers Go On Strike

About 800 Verizon workers in Rhode Island and 45,000 throughout the northeast and mid-Atlantic regions went on strike Sunday after an agreement could not be reached between the company and two unions – the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) - by Saturday’s deadline.

The two sides, which have been negotiating since June, remain at odds over concessions in healthcare and pensions that Verizon has requested. The unions say the highly profitable company is attempting to take back 50 years of collective bargaining gains made by the working class.

According to a press release issued by the CWA Saturday night, nearly 100 concessionary company proposals remained on the table even as the clock ticked away at a midnight deadline. Now the unions are refusing to come back to work until “Verizon stops its Wisconsin-style tactics and starts bargaining seriously,” the release said.

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How It Affects You

By Sunday evening, picketing had already begun along the east coast, including Providence, where striking Verizon employees stood in the rain carrying signs and marching around a telephone poll on Valley Street.

According to CWA Communications Director Candice Johnson, picketing will take place all over the east coast in the coming days. While Verizon store employees in Rhode Island are not union members, Johnson said you can expect to see striking workers handing out pamphlets in front of most stores to inform the public about why they’re striking.

Johnson there likely won’t be interruptions in the cell phone service, although she noted that union members work on cell phone towers, so if issues do arise, Verizon workers won’t be around to solve the problem until an agreement is met.

Verizon FIOS installations are likely stall this week as well.

No Real Bargaining By Verizon

On Saturday –before the strike became official – Johnson said Verizon was refusing to budge on every single demand it has been making.

“Negotiations between the Communications Workers of America and Verizon Communications are not moving forward. Contracts covering 45,000 Verizon workers are set to expire at midnight tonight,” she said. “Over months of negotiations, there has been no real bargaining by Verizon management. In fact, every major concession demand -- more than 100 in all – remains on the table.

She compared Verizon to the state of Wisconsin, which earlier this year made international headlines for passing a law that strips state workers of their collective bargaining rights.

“Even at the 11th hour, with contracts set to expire, Verizon continues to seek to strip away 50 years of contract gains,” Johnson said. “Following the game plan of Wisconsin, Verizon is trying to destroy the collective bargaining process by refusing to engage seriously on the issues.”

Verizon Response

But Verizon, which has achieved annual profits nearing $6 billion, says its proposal reflects today’s economic realities. In a press release issued Sunday, the company said it has trained tens of thousands of management employees, retirees and others to fill the roles and responsibilities of its union-represented wireline workers.

Marc C. Reed, Verizon's executive vice-president of human resources, called the strike regrettable.

“We are confident that we have the talent and resources in place to meet the needs and demands of our customers," Reed said. "It's regrettable for our employees and our customers that the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers have decided to walk away from the table instead of continuing to work through the issues. We will continue to do our part to reach a new contract that reflects today's economic realities in our wireline business and addresses the needs of all parties. It's also our intent that under a new contract, Verizon employees will continue to receive competitive pay and benefit programs."

Unions: Continue The Fight

But the unions say Verizon is the classic example of a wealthy corporation that cares more about the bottom line than its employees. They say they’ll continue to strike until Verizon is willing to negotiate a fair contract.

“CWA and IBEW members are prepared to return to work when management demonstrates the willingness to begin bargaining seriously for a fair agreement,” the CWA’s release said. “If not, CWA and IBEW members and allies will continue the fight.”

Photo credit: Gary Schoichet

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