EMAIL SIGN UP!
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
Verizon Workers, Management Dig in for Decisive Labor Battle; 'This Is No Ordinary Strike'
On the 10th day of the most important labor fight in America, striking Verizon worker Alexandra Camacho stood on a streetcorner in downtown Brooklyn and vowed to stay out as long as necessary.
"They want to strip from us everything we've won in the past," the slender Camacho said. "They even want to take away our Martin Luther King holiday. Well, that's not gonna happen."
Hundreds of Camacho's fellow workers from Verizon's Brooklyn call center walked the picket line behind her in red shirts. They chanted "No Contract, No Work" to the rhythmic beat of cowbells and drums.
Across the Eastern seaboard, 45,000 Verizon employees have hit the streets - at a time when labor strikes were supposed to be extinct.
Company officials say the unions must face reality.
"As consumers continue to cut the cord or choose competitors' wireline services, the company must make meaningful changes to its wireline cost structure," says one official Verizon response to the union.
But ask yourself: Why would so many workers risk their livelihood in the midst of a stubborn recession, with more than 9 million unemployed?
Because Verizon has left them no choice, the workers say.
This is a company, after all, that is swimming in cash.
In the first quarter of this year, Verizon tripled its profits compared with the previous year.
Since February, when it began its new deal with Apple to market the iPhone, the company has signed up an astounding 2.3 million new iPhone customers.
Yet despite Verizon's enormous success, the company has demanded unprecedented givebacks from the small portion of its 197,000 employees who are still unionized - about 45,000 who belong to the Communications Workers of America or the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Those union members are in the company's legacy land-line phone division or its fast-growing FiOS video service.
For decades, becoming a telephone company worker was a path into the middle class, even if you didn't have a big college education.
But now, union leaders say, the company's demands include:
- A freeze in all pensions for existing workers and eliminating them completely for new workers
- An increase in health insurance premiums
- Elimination of all job security provisions and any restrictions on outsourcing
- Reducing paid sick days
- Eliminating four vacation days, including King Day and Veterans DayEliminating supplemental disability benefits
Darrell Gladden, a customer service rep for 23 years in Brooklyn, is worried Verizon wants to ship many of those jobs serving FiOS customers to the Philippines and India.
"They should keep those jobs right here in America," Gladden said.
Verizon spokesman John Bonomo declined to talk about specific demands.
"What we're looking for is the kind of freedom our competitors have," Bonomo said. "If there is a call center that is handling calls with long wait times, we want to be able to switch the customer to a center someplace else."
With its huge profits, Verizon paid chairman Ivan Seidenberg $18 million last year. It paid $7.1million to Lowell McAdam, the former wireless division head who succeeded Seidenberg on Aug. 1 as CEO.
Twice before, in 1989 and 2000, Seidenberg fought nasty strikes with the company's unions and failed to break them.
Verizon kept making huge profits nonetheless.
The new guy, McAdam, thinks he will do what Seidenberg couldn't. He thinks he can outlast Camacho and all the other strikers.
"There's tremendous anger in the country about all this corporate greed," CWA spokesman Bob Master said. "This could be the private sector's battle of Wisconsin."
That's why this is no ordinary strike.
Comments
Note: Disqus 2012 is best viewed on an up to date browser. Click here for information. Instructions for how to sign up to comment can be viewed here. Our Comment Policy can be viewed here. Please follow the guidelines. Note to Readers: Spam Filter May Capture Legitimate Comments...
31 Comments so far
Show AllI feel for those strikers. Back in the late 70s and early 80s for example alot of companies had declining profits. The CEO's were not making the obscene profits that are now awared (stolen is more like it) them. Today workers wages continue to decline, our cost for taxes are more, my town water bill jumped 50 per cent, the price of gas. We continue to receive low wages because our employers can't afford to pay more, yet the companies are making record profits. Some in the public are thinking that striking workers just want more and have no regard for many who dont have jobs. Quite the opposite. They are trying to stop the wage decline and making US Workers and workers throughout the world into wage slaves. CWA Workers I support you. Im a member of AFSCME. Stand Strong.
HE has a point, This is likely to be the last strike of anysize. If they win great if they lose it's just another nail in the coffin for Americans as workers!
After this the only sizable unionized groups will be government workers. >^^<
this is a reagan and the air traffic controllers redux
in this case verizon - 3 billion in profits this year so far - a ceo who makes in one day 190 times what the average worker makes in a year and a media that could only be more fascist in their coverage if the were out on the picket lines whacking strikers over the head with lead pipes
in other words - another day at the office for the fascist american ceo's club
it is a seminal strike and i would like to see some support for these workers who are metaphorically all of us in a very direct sense - just like wisconsin
as goes verizon so goes the next "victim" whoever they may be
we are getting closer and closer to the unavoidable (the oligarchs are insisting that nothing less will budge them) american spring and when we finally step up and assume control there is going to be a shit load of housecleaning to do
workers - get your mops and brooms ready
let the clean up begin
rumors that Veriizon hired XE.. Diary on DK now. If true, then this company that made billions and is asking workers to give up their benefits, then turns around and spends money on private security is setting a very dangerous precedent.
Amy Goodman had a show 2 years ago stating the elite's have an army bigger then the US's. Even if they didn't they can just hire XE.
They need to occupy the buildings like the French! Sit down like the old autoworkers (a scab can't take your place if your sitting in it!) >^^<
''Right now we’re asking people to come out to the picket lines, to come out to the Verizon Wireless stores and support the picket lines. And there’s a petition to Lowell McAdam right now. All of it is on the CWA website, which is www.cwa-union.org. And there will be a lot of solidarity activities—Bob can talk about that a little bit—that are going to be generated over the next few weeks."--from democracy now! 08/11/11
juan, we sure appreciate all of you who report what "lamestream" (sobriquet compliments, jon stewart) media won't touch with a ten foot boom. when i caught the broadcast that the above plea comes from, the strike involving more than 40,000 workers was already in its 5th day! well, those entrenched in the web of corporate personhood have little interest in the goings on of mere living entities. that's not what floats their yacht.
When the Trade Unions were strong everyone had a living wage.
It takes a baseball bat, and the guts to use it,,, DEATH TO SCABS! >^^<
Stand strong my union brothers and sisters! As a member of the NALC and a Verizon customer, I will do all I can to help the cause. "An injury to one, is an injury to all".
Well, on one hand, I have little sympathy for anyone who works for these weasels. Whether you like it or not, they're enablers. We know all we need to know of how they've sold out their customers to the MIC. Why encourage them? However, on the other hand, anything that contributes to the hasslelization and general disruption of these Corporate Suits is always a good thing, so if push comes to shove, stick it to 'em guys!
'Well, on one hand, I have little sympathy for anyone who works for these weasels. Whether you like it or not, they're enablers. '
WTF! I assume this means that being nothing less than ideologically pure will do for real people in the real word--even if it means going jobless, or that one never, ever buying products or services from any entity other than a monastery.
What a sanctimonous blowhard.
Respectfully, I don't think that moonpie is being a santimonious blowhard. Our societal problems run deep. On the first level, we should support the union workers in the struggle. On the next level, we should fight to rid ourselves of corporations like Verizon and try to not let there be a society wherein people have little choice but to work for unethical companies and/or do unethical work just to make a living ...
"Dianna"
You are wrong and you owe "moonpie" an apology.
It is not about being "pure". Verizon and AT&T were very eager to support the illegal eavesdropping which started under Bush and has been endorsed by Obama. Verizon bosses also went around telling their employees who they should vote for. It is one of the most sadistic companies (as further proved by this article) and needs to be boycotted.
Please re-read moonpie's whole comment. The comment starts out with a critical thought but goes beyond it to support the workers because moonpie seems aware that they are desperate and THAT is why they end up working for such a predatory corporation.
Anyone who uses Verizon is working against justice.
While moonpie is, of course, right about verizon, why the out-of-the-gate attack on verizon workers? Why call someone who earns their living working for the company an 'enabler'?
Almost everyone who has a job these days works, either directly or indirectly, for the MIC, and 99% of them are drones with no real decision-making capacity nor enough earning power to choose their employer.
I appreciate moonpie's opinion about verizon, but I'm still not getting his attack on verizon workers, albeit qualified.
As a retired, former member of AFSME, I support all of the Unions 100%. Unfortunately, because of the rightwing propaganda machine filling the airwaves 24/7, there are the millions of uninformed people getting only one side of the equation, and believe the propaganda that Unions are BAD, BAD, BAD for non-unionized workers, and the economy, and need to be destroyed.
The Union strikes, and fighting back as the WI workers have, is only half of what's needed to save the Unions and insure the future working conditions for ALL workers.
We need to find a way to educate the uninformed with the history and the truth about the Unions before it's too late.
Union Thugs! Union Bosses! That's all you hear from the right. It's never Corporate Bosses or Corporate Thugs. Organized labor is a small part of the workforce and it's getting smaller all the time which makes it a target from the right. It's always fun to pick on a minority, it's the American way. The "right-wing propaganda machine" spews out garbage. How many camera operators and technicians that work at FOX are unionized? Probably all of them. If they banned unions back in the 1930's Henry Ford and Company would still be paying it's workers a dollar a day. Of course if they tried to ban unions back then there would have been a revolution. Today Americans sit home and jerk off to their own Facebook pages.
Good post, shadre.
Our effort takes education. It also takes guts, willingness to pay your union dues once per month, and willingness to go on strike. In other words, sacrifices; and those are troublesome details for many Americans.
All credit to Communication Workers of America, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers unions, sisters and brothers, for this heroic endeavor.
Of course, the White House is silent on this matter. (crickets chirping)
Bill in Dubuque, Teamsters Local 120
You give me hope this morning as I read your post. How quickly we've forgotten...also one reaason why I wrote my book: Wisdom of Progressive Voices...in it I feature Eugene V. Debs, Cesar Chavez, Dorothy Day and others. Not only have we forgotten our labor history, we've forgotten our progressive history and its rich tradition.
If we don't tell OUR stories, they will be lost forever. Thanks for sharing.
Some time ago, I applied for two jobs - one was Verizon. It would involve a 60 mile commute, but they pay and benefits were very good. It was a call center gig, of course. On the first day, there was an orientation session, wherein we learned about the company's history and culture. They had a refreshingly diverse group of new hires. So far, so good. However, unions came up, and it was pretty nutty. Our speaker started off slowly, explaining that the company was "stuck" with CWA workers from their various acquisitions. We were not to ever speak to anyone claiming to be an organizer. As the woman continued, she blushed, stuttered, and began to look very frazzled. Fortunately, the (anti) union talk was short. I ended up leaving just as the training period ended; assigned to a 3-11 pm shift, the gloss wore off pretty quickly. I've never had a union job, but have always been vocally pro-union. I would never cross a picket line; to me, it would be immoral.
Juan Gonzalez: "But ask yourself: Why would so many workers risk their livelihood in the midst of a stubborn recession, with more than 9 million unemployed? Because Verizon has left them no choice, the workers say."
Verizon and the rest of the ruling elite should heed Gonzalez's question. When the people have nothing left to lose, they can become very dangerous to those who continue to exploit them.
It's long past time for workers to be in the streets. The greedy-rich and their toadies in The White House and Congress have been raping workers for at least 30 years. Let's finally chase these sociopaths from the halls of government and jail the bastards who have looted our treasury.
Support the strikers.
Don't use Verizon products unless union demands are met.
"angelbert"
Don't use Verizon products. There are better companies to support.
"What we're looking for is the kind of freedom our competitors have," Bonomo said. "If there is a call center that is handling calls with long wait times, we want to be able to switch the customer to a center someplace else."
Because it never would do to hire additional people for that time slot, or to extend the service call center hours so customers could phone at their leisure. That might eat into that big heap of cash under Scrooge McDuck's tail.
If I see a picket, I will spell the others for coffee or bathroom breaks.
.....If I see a picket, I will spell the others for coffee or bathroom breaks.....
That is an excellent idea, netminnow. 2-300 Verizon workers have been picketing daily in two locations within a block of where I work in downtown Boston. This was Week Three. I think what they're doing takes a lot of courage, all things considered. I support them 110%.
There are striking Verizon workers where I live - a very courageous thing to do. And they have good tshirts - a coiled snake that says "Will Strike if Provoked."
This is a large battle in our current Civil War(Corporations/rich ruling class vs. People/middle and lower class) and if we lose it is going to be a major blow.
I just watched the "spin" as Wolf Blitzer had some politician on discussing Boeing and its attempt to move from Unionized Washington State to North Carolina.
It was a clear example of the collusion between The Media and the Politicians that try to break Unions so as to fatten Corporate profits.
Blitzer lobbed softballs wherein any viewer, not fully aware of what was going on, could only conclude that laws that protected the Unions so as to ensure an industry could not just close up shop and move elsewhere were Anti_american and destroying jobs.
In essence preventing the loss of a 25 dollar an hour jobs in one state, so that the same number of employees could make 12 bucks an hour in another state, was "destroying jobs".
Given the environment and the social conditioning people under wherein the Union is seen as an enemy, I give little hope to Verizon employees. That Billions in Cash that Verizon sits on will last longer then the Union members strike can last.
The people MUST take the side of the Unions and cancel Verizon accounts.
Actually It can be useful to watch these shows at times rather then just ignore them .IT helps one better understand the forces at work that are out there shaping public perceptions. When one watch theses broadcasts with this in mind (That they are trying to indoctrinate the user rather then inform them) one can help divine the true purpose and the forces at work behind the scenes to advance this agenda.
Usually I can only take it in small doses. What frustrates me most is not the message being delivered, it that it so OBVIOUS what is going one it hard to understand why it works so well with others.
I would use as example some of the articles the people here critique that are obviously trying to sell the message "Republicans good, Democrats bad". Some question whey these articles even posted. I tend to skim the article and then skip to some of the much more informed commentary that tears the article apart.
The key is to support the strike by honoring the picket lines. Locally, they have signs at the opening to a major shopping mall. I refuse to enter that mall. When the neighbors of Verizon discover its impacting them, they will bring pressure to bear on Verizon to settle more quickly. I have also called Verizon and let them know that my replacement phone was going to be an Iphone from them, but instead I picked up one free from Virgin to use until I settle on another unit from another supplier or Verizon makes a fair settlement with their own workers. Now that I have the one from Virgin, maybe I'll just stick with it. It's a nice unit and a LOT cheaper than Verizon.