Drivers on Route 543 in Bel Air may have noticed the crowd of red-clothed Verizon employees picketing outside this week as they went on strike against their employer. Now the communications company is claiming the picketing has intensified in some areas and led to deliberate acts of criminal sabotage – including incidents of fiber-optic lines being deliberately cut in Bel Air.
As Verizon works to restore service, the company is offering a $50,000 reward for “information leading to the arrest and prosecution of individuals that intentionally damage Verizon cables or facilities or cause or attempt to cause physical injury to any Verizon employee or contractor.”
From Verizon:
Verizon customers are noticing only minimal impact from the strike by 45,000 of the company’s wireline employees represented by the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
Verizon has repaired at least 12 acts of sabotage to its communications facilities in four states, starting Saturday (Aug. 6) and continuing after the strike began on Sunday (Aug. 7). Additionally, some pickets have unlawfully blocked Verizon managers’ access to numerous company work centers and garages.
The strike involves union-represented Verizon wireline employees in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Washington, D.C. Verizon Wireless is not part of this strike, and its customers are not affected by it.
“Our contingency plan is in full effect, and our management employees are stepping in to cover our workload,” said Bob Mudge, Verizon president of consumer and mass markets. “We are committed to delivering excellent customer service, and that’s exactly what we plan to do.”
Verizon’s management team is trained in various functions, including network repairs, customer service and billing, back office support and other critical duties.
The team completed more than 75 percent of repair commitments on Sunday, and with even more managers working on customer issues today, Verizon expects the ramp-up to continue.Customers may encounter slightly longer hold times when calling Verizon’s sales and service centers and slightly longer waits for repair service during this time. Customers with billing, service or other questions can seek assistance at www.verizon.com.
Company Deals With Acts of Sabotage, Illegal Picketing
The criminal incidents of sabotage have affected phone, Internet and TV service in Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.
The acts of sabotage include:• Ten incidents of fiber-optic lines being deliberately cut in the Bronx, Pomona, Farmingdale and Guilderland in New York; two separate incidents in Tewksbury in Massachusetts; incidents in Bel Air in Maryland, and East Dover, Oakland and Plainfield in New Jersey.
• An outage due to stolen electronic equipment in Cedar Grove, N.J., affecting a local police department, among other customers.
• An incident due to tampering with a heating system at a central office in Manhattan.
“These acts of sabotage are reprehensible,” said Verizon Chief Security Officer Mike Mason. “In addition to inconveniencing our customers, these deliberate disruptions of our network have affected hospitals, paramedics, fire fighters, law enforcement and other first responders. Verizon is working closely with local authorities to investigate these sabotage incidents, and identify and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law. And we will not hesitate to terminate any employee who may be involved in these acts.
“In addition, there have been circumstances where union picketers are showing contempt for our customers by illegally preventing us from accessing the tools we need to serve them,” said Mason. “We are taking legal action to end this unlawful activity.”
Verizon has obtained a statewide injunction against illegal picketing activities in Pennsylvania, and is pursuing similar action elsewhere.
The company is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information leading to the arrest and prosecution of individuals that intentionally damage Verizon cables or facilities or cause or attempt to cause physical injury to any Verizon employee or contractor. Verizon urges anyone who witnesses sabotage of Verizon property or any suspicious activity to call 911 immediately, then call the Verizon Security Control Center at 1-800-997-3287.
Doug104 says
Real smart jerks. Bite the hand that feeds you. Poor union stiffs, what are you unhappy with? The fact that you pay NOTHING for health care or vision care? Your 6 figure salaries for your high school education? Or is it the pension that is not high enough? The CWA is a joke.
cardcreek says
the gap between CEO and workers is the greatest it’s been since the Great Depression and you want to point your finger at the worker? I don’t condone vandalism and violence, but you should understand – if they cut these guys wages and benefits, you are next. Companies are turning record profits while sending jobs overseas and laying off employees. Something smells and it’s not the workers trying to maintain their wages. This is exactly what the wealthy elites want – having middle class and lower class fight over the crumbs they feed us.
Phil Dirt says
No, if you support these guys, you ARE condoning vandalism and violence. Keep on fooling yourself if you want to, but more and more people are seeing what is happening.
ALEX R says
There is simply no justification for the medical benefits they receive for free and no justification for the pension level with the amount of contribution they make. None.
If they catch the people who committed the vandalism then put them in jail. Enough is enough and the union has no popular support for its position. Of course, the union doesn’t care, it simply wants the dues from members, and higher wages and benefits mean more dues. Both the IBEW and the CWA are terrorists who are holding hostage the poor and sick people who need service. (I borrowed that from the Dems who, after pleading for civility in discourse, used it to describe members of Congress who wanted to lower spending.)
retired VZ says
Do you even know what a terrorist is???????????????
Join the rest of our government with the definition of a terrorist, since they haven’t a clue either.
Seems to me that your statement shows you haven’t the common sense that God has given most of us and you should keep your comments to yourself since you are the only person who can respect them.
Phil Dirt says
I only wish the terrorists would first go after people who end sentences with 15 question marks.
dennis wholey says
Verizon union employees medical benefits are no different than other med plans, the only difference is they don’t pay the premium, they do pay co-pays and other cost’s.
Phil Dirt says
And that is a huge cost. It’s like saying “Sure, they get cars for free but they have to buy gas like the rest of the workers in America.”
Billy Jack says
Your final sentence says it all. And still they fall for it, blame the poor for taking more than their share, and the guys at the top are laughing all the way to the bank.
dennis wholey says
that 6 figure salary doesn’t exist, Massachusetts & Rhode Island techs make $85,000 annually with a third to half of that coming from overtime at company request.
Verizon wants to make overtime mandatory.
mike nevin says
Fire them all. Unions ruined this country.
im getting real pissed says
who gave you social security, the 40 hour work week? womens labor rights?
Phil Dirt says
What a tired, old argument. Yes, unions back then (which in no way resemble today’s unions) did good things, and help push America to pass laws to help workers. Yes, workers are now protected by laws, not by these organizations.
Thanks for your assistance, unions of old. Your work is done now. Buh-bye.
im getting real pissed says
are you employed at will? what happens to your medical insurance after you tragiclly get ill and exhaust all your fmla? who negioates your sick time? vacation time? Can they terminate you for any reason with or with out a reason? How much would a lawyer cost you to dispute a labor issue?
Phil Dirt says
My answers (now with punctuation and capitalization!)
Am I employed at will? Yes
What happens to my medical insurance after I tragically get ill and exhaust all my FMLA? I am provided with sick time and short and long term disability insurance at a reasonable rate.
Who negotiates my sick time? Vacation time? When they offered my the job, the company told me what they provide. I had the choice to take the deal or leave it, with the possibility of working out a better deal if my position was particulary valuable to them.
Can they terminate you for any reason with or with out a reason (sic)? I believe so, and I have the right to leave at any time, with or without a reason.
How much would a lawyer cost you to dispute a labor issue? In my world, there are no “labor issues” to dispute. There is a job and there are laws. If I choose to sue them of a work issue, I assume the lawyer would take the customary large percentage as with any suit.
K says
Phil Dirt, well said as usual.
retired VZ says
You wouldn’t have the benefits or the salaries you have today without them.
Phil Dirt says
And we all thank those unions for what they did way back then. However, they are gone and have no resemblance to those organizations that now refer to themselves as “unions”, and we have laws in place to guarantee the rights of workers. It’s time to move on.
dennis wholey says
how long do you think those laws will stand if the unions go away ? Maine has already weakened some of laws and other states have legislation pending to do the same.
Phil Dirt says
I don’t believe that this is true. Please support these allegations with links or facts.
cardcreek says
yeah unions are messing with the dow jones as I write
pizzle says
It’s off-topic for the discussion at hand, but worth thinking about…..
No, the unions aren’t messing with the Dow, but did you ever give thought to who might stand to gain by manipulating markets?….Let’s say, someone that could make about one billion dollars from betting that interest rates were going to go up?…Hmm…who is wealthy enough and has access to enough inside information to place a bet like that?…Oh, nevermind…..back to watching Jersey Shore…..
K says
The answer Alex, “Who is George Soros?” MoveOn’s owner and ruler…..
Porter says
@CARDCREEK – The stock market drops are a repudiation of President Obama’s fiscal mismanagement, horrible economic policies and Obamacare.
Porter
cardcreek says
porter – yes the failure of our own government, but it goes back beyond one president – he (and congress) didn’t dig this hole by himself. we can blame ourselves – consumers as well for settling for cheap goods from China, for not caring at all where our oil/energy comes from, from our own desire to be in debt up to our eyeballs so we can enjoy the good life – the enemy is us. or how about the .1% of the pol=pulation bringing home 10% of the income in this country paying less taxes than ever so that our country is in debt bankrupting this and future generations? This didn’t start under Obama – and no I am not his fan.
(but at least we agree the unions aren’t the cause of what ills this country?)
cardcreek says
again getting back to the topic at hand – with neither party caring a lick for workers, as policy after policy decision has shown, who will stick up for the workers in this country? and here we are on the bottom of this economic pyramid fighting with one another. shouldn’t we be cheering if the verizon workers get a little bit more of the record profits of their company? really? Verizon life every other company has outsourced every job they can, but fortunately, they can’t outsource laying fiber optics – hard to do that from India (but they would if they could)
Porter says
@Cardcreek – Unions have been responsible for driving manufacturing offshore and the demise of our domestic automakers.
If there was an prize for Economic and Financial Illiteracy you and President Obama would be neck and neck to win.
Porter
cardcreek says
@porter, i would agree that unions didn’t help themselves in the auto industry, but don’t operate in a vacuum either. japan’s government subsidized their auto industry and modernized while we didn’t, japans autos – small and efficient (and reliable)found a huge niche in the energy crisis of the 70s while american manufacturers kept spitting out gas guzzlers until too late – the blame can be spread here – including our government which in the name of free market allowed companies to move their industries overseas and then rolled out the red carpet for their goods.
at first it was just the blue collar jobs that were outsourced. now white collar jobs like accounting are disappearing. if you want international free markets then the ture price is that we will never compete until our standard of living shrinks to the level of the rest of the world or it rises to meet us (doubtful) – and as soon as it does, companies will high tale it to the next market where they can pay workers .50/hour so you can have cheap athletic shoes.
there are lots of factors leading to the demise of manufacturing in america but the biggest is greed. those who claim unions are no longer needed, might be crying a different tune in a few years – representative democracy represents big business on both sides of the aisle – especially after the supreme court said corps could make political contributions. politicians will go where the money is not get elected. the tea party movement (no matter your stance on their politics) is one attempt to correct this
and again I ask, why would anyone be against verizon (or any other workers) trying to get more of the pie – actually the crumbs of the pie?
and by the way – i do appreciate us having a dialogue on the issues rather than resorting to name calling. but if you think I am a liberal democrat, you’ve mislabled.
dennis wholey says
No, free trade and tax breaks for moving jobs over seas are responsible for sending jobs over seas.
Patrick says
@Dennis Wholey
No one gets tax breaks for sending jobs off-shore.
noble says
Those who can’t look past the current President or Congress are the mostly the same folks who can’t look past the next election. And when the opposite balance of power occurs, the same cycle will continue. Reading comments on the Dagger makes it abundantly clear why Congress can’t get together and do anything, because everyone is drinking the same brand of kool-aid, just different colors.
If you refuse to “take a side”, you will either be ignored, or you will be forced by their inability to grasp the idealogy of the middle 80% of Americans, because this path to moving forward in our country is all but lost.
If you find someone who claims to be a Republican or Democrat and has something good to say about the other side, it would be best to tuck them into a limo quietly before these lunatic vultures find them.
The current age of information has emboldened a firebrand of radical thought and magnified its voice. Sometimes this should be a strength, but in too many cases now, it has been largely destructive.
Balance, progress, and a way forward includes consideration of both/all points of view. The last time we as Americans decided not to do this, we fought each other for 4 years at the cost of hundreds of thousands of lives.
Surely, it won’t be worth that.
cardcreek says
well said – i am tired of the sound bites and rhetoric – the extremes shout the loudest
K says
And where Noble, do you think us crazed loonie birds should find information? My sources are as varied as the U.N.. Or should we just listen to and follow through with your thoughts and ideas. Your soliloquy is such a righteous read. But it certainly, in my humble opinion, reeks with strong undertones of hypocrisy and subtle hints of sarcasm. As far as I’m concerned, any vote I make is an informed decision based on fact, history, and current events. Back to the topic of the article, intentional sabotage should not be rewarded. If a person wants to be the CEO of a corporation, then that is the career path they should follow. But, to always complain when union members are asked to help cover benefit costs has really, really gotten old. Why don’t folks ever have any compassion and understanding for the middle management workers?
noble says
K, I wasn’t responding to you or singling you or anyone else out from any part of the political spectrum. We all have some lunatic tendencies, I have my own. My comments are directed at those who believe that their way is the only way, the only solution, just one single way out of any problem. Clearly from what I said I don’t think you should “just listen” to what I say, because inherently I would take your views into account.
If you get your information from a variety of sources as you say, my comments do not apply to you. If you are an educated voter that’s great, we need more of you.
There will always be lunatic fringes, this is a facet of being human. And there will always be someone’s crazy uncle there to toss your ‘looney birds’ crumbs to keep them happy. The main difference now is that the crazy uncle is tossing out crack-infused bread, and the looney birds all fly around with megaphones attached to their beaks.
The squawking is getting old.
As for intimating that I am a hyprocryte, or somehow self-righteous, I have to wonder why the personal attack? What about my comments indicate to you that I don’t believe what I say? If I say I’m a Republican, do you feel the urge to call me a RHINO? If a Democrat, a DINO?
Why must there always be a label? Or could it be that I’m part of that 80% of all parties that doesn’t see things just one way all the time? Aren’t you?
The sooner we get away from labels, stereotypes, 40 character tweets and news hour soundbytes and start seeing each other as people with ideas and innovations, the better off we are going to be.
Bill says
I don’t understand how people can’t see the bigger implications of what is going on. Republicans (Teabaggers) are continuing to demonize workers rights in favor of larger corporate profits. Guess what folks, it DOES NOT TRICKLE DOWN. It stays at the top.
pizzle says
AFAIK, the Tea Party is mainly concerned with GOVERNMENT spending, not private-company spending, correct? Do they really care about Verizon and their labor issues, or about “corporate profits”?
I’m not a member of the Tea Party, but I’m really confused over all the people that love to throw them under the bus any chance they get. Start to think for yourself instead of being spoon-fed the story that the media has written about what’s going on in this country. You might find it liberating.
K says
No need for confusion Pizzle. Don’t even waste your time or energy attempting to figure out the warped, out of shape minds of crazy left winger/MoveOn/progressive creatures. Their only function in the world is to repeat over and over and over what the queen bee of king bee tell them. I receive many of the same talking points so I know what they are going to say/write before it happens.
K says
Revision: queen bee OR king bee.
Bill says
Just like I can turn on Fox News or Rush and get your talking points.
K says
Wrong dear, I get my information from individual organizations, books, magazines, newspapers (both electronic and hardcopy), etc.. YOU are the one(s) with the limited intellectual resources.
Keesha Jackson says
Pizzle, The “Teabaggers” are thrown under the bus every chance that the progressive/lib/dems get because they fear them and their ideas. The “Teabaggers” are the people who are tired of endless budget increases and debt that is soaring as a result. They realize that much of the budget is spent for a bunch of nonsense but that every time someone suggests that less could be spent the knee jerk reaction is “what about the children and the elderly and the sick and the poor and the police and education?”. They realize it is all a bunch of baloney because more is spent on pork and the lib’s darling special interest groups than any sane and rational individual could ever believe.
Taxpayer says
You really need to become informed before you write. Take an economics course. Just because the MSM and the democrats say it is so does not make it fact.
Also, using the term Teabaggers really does not show much class and undermines your position. It makes you look worse than that people you are demonizing.
Fed Up says
For those who wish to disparage the Tea Party and their struggle to pull in out of control government spending and reach for authority, just imagine if they had gotten their way a few weeks ago…a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, a debt reduction plan that would for the first time make the Gov. elitists more accountable with OUR money. Just imagine what would have happened to our AAA rating. Do you get it? I didn’t think so. Learning a little about our nations history would do you well…then contrast it with all of the failed socialists states in history…sorry, still no pulse.
Jerry E Brown says
Easy fix. I, as a consumer, who could care less about the union and the plight of the guy laying the fiberoptic cable, will have service interrupted one too many times or for too extended a period, and will take my business elsewhere. All will pay for the ignorance of a few, management and union alike. Good thinking, union! Same goes for the folks outside the Shoprite that sit there smoking, texting and generally looking silly.
Keesha Jackson says
JERRY E BROWN,
I already took my business elsewhere. Guess what? Verizon, their management and the union are not the only place in town to get a quality product. Today, there is nothing Verizon has to offer me that I cannot get somewhere else. Telephone? I have a choice of multiple cellular carriers or voice over IP and don’t need a land line. Internet? Satellite or cable. TV? Satellite or cable. Years ago, when it was Bell Atlantic and they had a lock on everything I had no choice. Now I have a choice. I chose to go elsewhere.
Billy Jack says
Keep your eyes on Wisconsin today. The loss of collective bargaining rights is the bedrock of union strength and effectiveness. The tea party has outspent the progressives in this race and, sadly, Obama and the White House have been largely absent. Turnout thus far is on a par with presidential elections. I suspect that, as Wisconsin goes, so goes the country.
Phil Dirt says
“… sadly, Obama and the White House have been largely absent”
Why “sadly”? This is an issue for the people of Wisconsin to decide, and there is no reason for Obama to stick his nose into state matters.
Taxpayer says
The left has spent over $30 Million on this vote. The Tea Party has not outspent the left in Wisconsin.
K says
Sorry about that loss Billy Jack…..
Dulcinea says
Thank you, K, for your consideration. It is indeed a sad day for me.
decoydude says
This thread and the comments are like a miniature version of our current congress. The radical, repugnant rhetoric of Republicans out shouting once again the dysfunctional, defeatist demagoguery of Democrats. This is why so many people are fed up with politics as usual. “The rich are destroying this country!” “The unions are destroying this country!” “Banks and CEO’s are destroying this country!” “Teachers are lazy and destroying this country!” Is any of this really helping the country or the average working taxpayer? Maybe it is time for another revolution? We need some personal accountability. So, quit finger-pointing at others and “Man Up”. Take some responsibility and pitch in to do your part. Instead of a house cleaning, I would recommend a complete rebuild.
Patrick says
@DECOYDUDE At what point in US political history was there non-discordant executive, senate and house branches of government?
decoydude says
Patrick – There is a difference between discordant and dysfunctional. If you are proud of the current behavior and function of the politicians in Washington DC, then we have zero common ground on this issue. As my Mother would say, “Son, if the shoe fits, wear it.” However, our seemingly differing opinions of the current productivity of partisan politics are like …….. well you know how it goes.
Patrick says
@DECOYDUDE When would you say in US history had a non-dysfunctional executive, senate and house branches of government absent discord?
decoydude says
@ PATRICK – Again, Discord and dysfunction are not the same. In my opinion, the governing relationship of 97th Congress with President Reagan illustrates this point. I point to the following 2 pieces of legislation: The Economic Recovery Tax Act and The Tax Equity and Fiscal Responsibility Act. Both produced quite a bit of discord, but both were passed. I picked these 2 examples because they are relevant to the economic situation of the present. There are other examples. The main point is the “work of the people” got done. You may argue the merits of either piece of legislation from ideological perspectives, but in the end what probably was needed at the time was passed and signed in to law. There is a difference between good politics and good government. I fear we have the former and need the latter.
Mgt Workers don't get to strike says
The original article above uses the misnomer “managers” to refer to the Verizon employees who are having to do the strikers’ jobs. They are not “managers”. They are secretaries and other admin staff, software engineers, project managers (i.e., people who manage projects) yes, there are a few actual low-level managers, and even a few directors. Anyone who doesn’t punch a time clock, but who is paid a straight salary, is considered a “management employee”.
My spouse works at Verizon and is a management employee. Said spouse went through the training, is on day two of doing the striker’s jobs, and is privvy to hearing over the hotline on the phones they carry, any problems other mgt workers are calling in about. Some are technical (How do I do such-n-such?)
But many of the calls already coming in are related to the mgt employee being subjected to harm, sometimes life-threatening, from the strikers.
Here is some of what has gone on in training and in the past two days of working.
Let me preface this by stating the fact that these mgt employees (i.e., secretaries, engineers, etc.) have 3 choices in all this:
A) They can cross the picket lines, do what they’re told, endure any harassment, threats, and injuries that come their way, not to mention fear and panic on the part of the women and even some of the men, and they get to keep their jobs.
B) They can refuse to do it, at which time they will be fired “for cause” and thus not receive any severance.
C) They can quit, and receive no severance, and be out of a job.
Now, back to what all has taken place so far in training and in the past two days that she and I know of so far. It’s not much, but it’s frightening.
1) One woman fell from a telephone pole and broke her back in Texas. That was in training.
2) One man fell from a telephone pole and broke his pelvic bone. That was also in training.
3) One woman fell at the top of a pole and got hung on the wire step pegs sticking out to the sides. She was hanging upside down by her knees, the backs of which were bent over these pegs. The edges of the pegs bend upward in a 90 degree angle. The upward portions of the pegs pierced both of the backs of her knees because her legs (and knees) were wider than the width of the peg. She may not be able to walk again. This was in training.
In the past two days on the job:
1) One woman was followed by a pack of strikers and when she stopped her company van to go tend to the “job” she was assigned, the strikers got out of their car and started trying to roll the van. She was paralyzed with fear and called 911. Unfortunately, since this was in a state where the cops there were also union, they came out, but then just laughed, hung around with the strikers, and left. When he left, the strikers started trying to roll the car again. She was able to drive off. However, if anyone “touches” a striker with a vehicle, even nudges them, they can be charged and arrested. Nice double standard, huh?
2) Strikers were following both men and women back to their hotels, following them when they tried to go eat lunch, and even following them home if they lived near enough to the work site not to have to stay in a hotel.
3) Strikers have been verbally threatening to harm not only the workers (who, remember, do not have the right to strike! They only have the right to either work, quit, or get fired.), but also threatening to do harm to family members and even pets, which is particularly frightening to those who are being followed home, and had frightened the daylights out of my wife. They even threatened to go to our children’s schools.
4) They are taking pictures of everyone who works and getting the names of workers from their bosses who are still working in a true management capacity at the base facilities where the workers have to go to get their work assignments each day and get their work vehicles. Then they are finding out if they have Facebook accounts, looking up names in the phone book, and we have one friend who actually received two threatening phone calls tonight from a wireless phone number.
Verizon is not only crapping on its union workers, they are putting all of their other workers in harm’s way.
Oh, and the work schedule for these desk jockeys is 12 hours a day, 10 days on, one day off. My wife has a 2.5 hour commute to and from the facility she has to report to. She is getting about 4-5 sleepless nights of “sleep”.
I’m afraid she will fall asleep at the wheel. And for what? To call me crying in the middle of the day because she’s terrified of the 5 men outside her van, each one of whom could pick her up and throw her across the room with one hand?
Everybody is jumping on the bandwagon about whether “the poor union worker should have wages cut and lose health benefits”. Get real. Do you folks even KNOW what the REAL negotiations are about?
First of all, I haven’t heard anything about wage cuts or wage hikes, but I can tell you that the “management (i.e., salaried) employees” haven’t had a raise, no even a cost-of-living raise in years.
Management (i.e., salaried) employees have a 401K like everybody else on the face of the earth. The union workers want a guaranteed pension with more benefits than anyone else at Verizon has. Verizon is saying, “No, we’re putting everybody on the 401K plan”. They can choose to put their existing “pension” funds into IRAs or transfer it into their 401K fund. I don’t find this to be unfair. In fact, I find it to be utterly insane that they’re not already ON a 401K.
Health benefits: All of Verizon (salaried “management” employees”) are being moved from a 20% self-contribution to health care to 30%. The union is saying “Not us, dude!” Why not? Why should they get a better deal than anyone else?
Gap in wages: I agree CEO’s make way too much money. But the last CEO made something like $18 million/year. He just left recently–in the past couple of months I believe. The new CEO makes $8 million. Yeah, still a heck of a lot, but it’s at least $11 million LESS than the last CEO there.
So, get your facts straight and start talking about the issue at hand, here.
You need to be on the side of the management workers who have NO RIGHTS in all of this; not the union workers who seem to me to be having their cake and eating it too.
cardcreek says
thanks for the details
sorry for what your wife has to go through
firstname.lastname says
I read your account of the strike, although unfortunate for everyone, I stopped reading at the part where you said the police came and laughed at the woman because they are union too. In my eyes you lost your creditbility with that statement, what BS! I don’t believe it for a second.
Mgt Workers don't get to strike says
I do not know if this “police” portion of the event is true. The van rolling portion is a definite. Although, I agree that the police laughing sounds like an embellishment on the actual story. My wife heard over the radio hotline the actual woman calling in in tears when they were trying to roll the van. Since I know my wife doesn’t lie or embellish, and is a mature-minded 50+ year old woman, I do believe her about the van roll attempt. It upset my wife to hear this coming across the security hotline. I, too, suspect that the police not helping is either an embellishment that made its way to the various facilities OR I would personally imagine that perhaps the police came and tried to lighten the situation and calm the strikers by talking to them, perhaps laughing a little to get them to lighten up and “move on” and when the police felt the situation was ok, maybe left. The woman did leave in her van eventually, but it ‘appears’ that she had not done the work assignment at the site where she had the work ticket for, which would possibly indicate why she didn’t leave right away.
So all I know is what my wife has heard either over the radio or from the manager at the site she reports to (and one case from a friend who was assigned a local area to work in–she was the one who received the phone calls).
I will say, though, that a lot of incidents are being reported by the actual facilities’ managers when the mgt employees return the trucks at the end of the day.
They are being told to be careful about going to lunch and not to go into the bathrooms to wash up alone. So, my wife said this morning when she called me at my own job that the people at her facility are just taking wet rags with them to wipe their hands off and then going through drive-thru windows and eating in their cars.
I think it’s the women who are breaking down right from the start.
I certainly respect your point of view, and do applaud you for being careful not to take just anybody’s reports blindly.
However, I do hope that folks out there know that these mgt employees are doing the best they can. They can’t afford to quit or get fired. They are under stress because they don’t know how to do the job well enough to go out on their own. (And although they were promised to be paired up with an experienced person, this of course did not happen–at least not in the facility my wife was assigned to.) So they’re relying on what they remember from their training, which in most cases was at least a couple of months ago, and resorting to calling the hotline for help on job sites.
One wrong touch of a wire to two “hot” areas of a piece of equipment will electrocute them.
They’re scared of making a wrong move on the equipment itself, and scared of the strikers on top of it.
My point was only to shed some light on some of the specifics that are going on, and bring the discussion back to the ground level where real people on both sides are suffering, and get the focus out of the realm of theory.
I see Verizon’s top management (CEO level, etc.) has legal representation and a lot of control; I see the strikers have legal representation, the right to strike, and a union to go to bat for them, all of which gives them a fair amount of control; but the mgt employees have NO legal representation, nobody to represent them as a whole or as individuals (unless and until a single individual actually gets hurt enough to sue on their own), and no control over the situation at all.
As for those people who are pointing to the company “changing” its benefits: companies change their benefits packages every single year. You get several choices of health plans, from HMO’s to PPO’s, each with differing levels of deductibles and so on. If a company wants to offer all its employees the same choices, that IS a fair deal. What ISN’T fair is if one select group of employees is given a different set of choices than any other employee.
These things I’m mentioning have no bearing on a “union vs. non-union” organizational structure (not sure if that’s the correct term). Whether you’re classified as union, non-union, hourly employee (for those who work part-time) or salaried employee, everyone should get the same choices within the same company.
I just wanted to bring the conversation down to the workers and out of the realm of theory and out of the realm of union vs. non-union.
Thanks
The Big Picture says
Union members found to be threatening others or vandalizing should be shot in the head. Oh wait, that would be insane …just like an “adult” harassing the company or it’s representatives that it is striking against.
YOU have the right to strike and picket. You have the right to encourage others to stop doing business with the company that has been putting food on your table up till now. You also have the right to be replaced and discarded in the process if the company feels it is abe.
Strikes are not a get out of jail free card and exuberant thugs will find themselves in jail while all their “brothers and sisters” have long since forgotten them. Both sides are using cameras and surveillance. Strike if you feel like your position is strong enough. Break the law if you feel like your family will not need you for a few years. The union will not represent you or pay your legal fees for criminal acts.
Qualified says
My father worked for the Bell System for 36 years. He was a member of CWA till they got stupid and he quit the union. He still had to pay union dues but considered the union to be thugs, liars, and cheats. He told me that should I ever go to work for the phone company, he would throw me out of the house. If I ever joined a union, he would come back and haunt me. My father passed on in ’93 and is resting in peace.
Look at the wonderful things unions have done; we can go to GM in Dundalk…no wait that plant is gone, we can go to Beth Steel….no wait they were sold to the Russians.
Someone made a comment about the union they work for, but I’ll bet the union name is not on thier W-2 as payor.
Let’s all link arme and sing kumbya!
Rl. Lynn says
What is with the sabotage? Is that what the unions are condoning? I would think that someone familiar with fiber optic cables for Verizon would be behind it. Doesn’t give me a good feeling about unions at all. I was kind of neutral on unions before reading this. Wow.
decoydude says
@ R.L.LYNN – First of all let me say that I have never been a union member or to my knowledge employed union members. I am very (pragmatically) fiscally conservative. As a capitalist, I don’t see anything wrong with earning more money. Criminal activity is not something I support. I really don’t care if you support unions or not. However, if you are easily swayed by something that you read on a blog, what does that say about your thought processes. Many of the posts and some of the submissions(mine included) are for entertainment value only. After all, doesn’t the name of this site tell you something.
Rl. Lynn says
You do make a good point. Thanks for the response.
retired VZ says
Who in the hell are you talking about? Get your facts straight before you make a stupid comment as you just expressed. Worked for them for 35 years and never made the salary you are speaking of, and the health care you speak about- negotiated every contract to hold onto what we had by accepting less in other places and with every contract a little more was removed from the one before. There comes a time when the rank and file must stand together and tell the executives who ARE pulling down six to seven dollar figure salaries enough is enough!!!!
Phil Dirt says
Maybe if you post this a fourth or fifth time, folks will start to agree with you (the first three sure haven’t convinced me).
Missy Lee says
After 9/11 many Verizon employees led the way in restoring communications to lower Manhattan. That included Federal, State, and City offices,Wall Street, private residences,small businesses,and many large corporations. Not a small task by any measure but our country, our city, and our customers needed us and we responded. Verizon employees toiled relentlessly to restore services that were vitally needed, working in a hazardous environment that Verizon continuously assured us was safe. As usual the company and its executives took credit for all of our efforts.
Now a decade later, many of those employees are beginning to show signs, and suffer from, many of the same illnesses and cancers affecting the First responders, Ground zero workers, and Volunteers. It is also the time Verizon has CHOSEN to attack our medical benefits. JUST WHEN WE NEED THEM MOST!!
45,000 employees are now on strike against a company who now rewards us by telling us that we DON’T deserve a pension. That we DON’T deserve the health benefits as we have them. That we DON’T deserve the job security we have. That we DON’T deserve the salaries we make. That we DON’T deserve paid holidays, including Martin Luther King Day, and Veteran’s day. There are many other things on their, ” DON’T deserve”, list that are just too numerous to mention. BUT VETERAN’S DAY!?? It shows how little they understand or care about sacrifice and how it got them where they are, especially when some of their employees are presently serving in
Missy Lee says
http://www.newnetworks.com/UnderbellyVerizonStrike.htm
The Verizon Communications Workers of America (CWA) members are correct in worrying about the future. In the last two decades, there’s been over a 50% decrease in the number of employees-per-line, while there’s been a 100% increase in the Bell companies revenues. And construction in Verizon is down over 53% in the last three years.
However, there’s an another dark side of this discussion that no one wants to talk about — How customers are being affected by staff cuts and slashes in construction budgets. Everyone knows that service has been declining and prices have been increasing, but the real scam is that instead of reinvesting in the networks and staff, Verizon is using the profits to fund excessive executive compensation and pay for massive overseas losses from bad investments.
These staff cuts are on top of a series of reductions over the last two decades. In fact, there has been over a 50% drop in employees-per-line since the Bells took over local phone service. These new cuts put the networks in serious jeopardy for not only broadband but also phone services. To see more information on staff cuts throughout the Bell System see: http://www.teletruth.org/docs/unauthbiobook2.pdf
Missy Lee says
Dear America,
Last Friday 45,000 Verizon employees received their last paycheck until this strike is over. We understand that in this economy everyone should be willing to give up something for the betterment of our country’s financial welfare. We are more than willing to bargain with Verizon to come up with a fair contract for everyone involved. We are not asking for anything more than what we already have and have had for years!
Verizon has placed ads in papers & on television telling you that they just want us to pay for a portion of our health care insurance premium cost and listing various salaries that we should be thankful for. Verizon has failed to publicly mention the other items they would like for us to give up or that these salaries and benefits that they are posting are inaccurate. It takes a unionized Verizon worker 25 years to gradually earn the amount of vacation time that is in these ads!
Verizon has told you that their land line business is failing, yet they fail to mention that that very business is the backbone network of their FIOS, DSL & Wireless operations. They want you to think that there is no need for a land line because they want their FIOS & DSL to be classified as “internet or data” instead of exactly what they are: land lines. Every cell tower connects to a land line network. Without Verizon’s land line business they would have no wireless business!
Verizon fails to publicly mention that they want to begin increasing the outsourcing of American jobs to other countries by removing all aspects of job security from the contract, to freeze all pensions for current workers and completely eliminate them for future employees, slash sick time, eliminate disability payments for injured workers, eliminate holidays (including Veteran’s Day) and completely gut health care plans for current & retired workers.
Despite making $19.5 billion in profits and paying out $258 million to it’s top 5 executives in the last four years, Verizon wants to take back more than 50 years of collective bargaining and destroy middle class jobs, just like many of the other large corporations!
The President of Verizon makes $55,000 a day, how much does the average American worker make per day?
Verizon has paid $0 in federal corporate income taxes over the last three years, how much has the average American worker paid in federal income tax?
Verizon received nearly $1 billion in tax benefits from the federal government (your money) over the last three years, how much has the average American worker received in tax benefits?
You ask why the workers would be going on strike when we’ve been spoiled and should be thankful we have a job in this economy?
I believe what you should be asking is why aren’t there more American jobs being created by American companies? Why are companies being allowed to outsource their jobs when American production is at an all time low and we all know that we cannot grow as a consumer only country! We must produce products here in the United States of America! For every American made item we buy, we support an American worker whether they are in a union or not.
We are on strike for all of you, not just ourselves. The middle class stands to lose everything while corporations and a few individuals gain it all. We walk the line for you!
We understand that we may have to give up some things that we have had in the past, but we should not have to give up everything including our job security! All we are asking is for Verizon to sit down and bargain with the people that helped build it. It’s time to bring jobs back to America and end corporate greed!
Sincerely,
A very frustrated but ON STRIKE American Worker
Patrick says
@Missy – Plagiarism is disingenuous. I Googled your post and a funny thing happened I found it repeated all over the internet.
Are they your words or someone else’s? If they are your words why don’t you post a link to your original posting.
Missy Lee says
http://guarasci-land.com/2011/08/13/cwaibew-strike-against-verizon-2011/
The media wants you to think that the unionized workers are spoiled. That the strike against Verizon solely revolves around paying into our healthcare. While this is an important part of what we are fighting for, there are other major issues that lie on the table.
A reduction of 20% in salary, removal of the pension plan already in place, major re-tooling of the employee’s 401k plan, removal of holidays, sick time and the most important one: job security. To save money, Verizon wants to ship unionized jobs overseas to places such as India and the Philippines.
Verizon wants you to believe that they are pleading poverty. While it is true that landlines have been declining due to the surge in wireless and Internet availability, Verizon has posted a profit of $27.5 billion dollars in the first two quarters of 2011.
Former CEO Ivan Seidenberg received total compensation of $36.75 million was ranked number 10 on Forbes Top Executive Pay in 2011
Lowell McAdam, Seidenberg’s successor, received $7,195,900.00 total compensation for 2010.
Since the Verizon spin is that this strike is about only healthcare, let me point out that both parties do not pay for their healthcare and will not ever do so for the rest of their lives.
This does not only affect Verizon’s customers’ service, but also the livelihoods of our families are affected during this work stoppage. Verizon has hired 10,000 scabs to do the work of 45,000 unionized workers, in addition to their staff of lower to middle-level management (Why aren’t higher-level managers assisting during the strike?). How long can an understaffed corporation continue to operate at this capacity without affecting the innocent customers who are expecting their new service installations, repairs, and ordering FiOS? This is, plain and simple, a fight against corporate greed.
I would be more than happy to get off the picket line and get back to work, but Verizon has yet to come to the negotiating table with a fair deal. This strike isn’t about the unionized workers being selfish and wanting more, more, more. It’s about keeping what we already have and what the union negotiated for us for the past 50 years.
Alex R says
Missy Lee,
Well if 10,000 people who want to work can do the job of 45,000 on strike I guess the math speaks more loudly than I ever could. Seems to me that Verizon paying 10,000 people rather than 45,000 people is a pretty sweet deal all around for them. Maybe the company isn’t as dumb as I thought. EX VZ is right about the union. Tell me, Missy Lee, are your union reps getting paid while you are on strike?
What is happening here is that over the years the union and Verizon management conspired to give the poor workers unsustainable levels of wages and benefits. They both knew it all along but the can got kicked down the road. Now it is time to face the music. Company management is still being paid, union leadership is still being paid, but Missy is walking the line on strike.
EX VZ says
As an ex employee who was forced to take a buyout, I agree whole heartedly with the negative comments I’ve read here. VZ is by far the worst company I ever worked for. The distance between upper management and the work force is immeasurable. Moral is terrible and the equipment offices that I used to work in were filthy and falling apart.
On the other side of the coin I have seen workers come in and sleep through most of their shift, I’ve seen sofas and upholstered recliners brought into the offices so there would be a place to sleep. I’ve seen employees surf the internet all day long. I have been told by several other technicians that they weren’t going to do any more than one service order per day, and I was told “What are they going to do to me? I’ve got 30 years”. Both of my experiences being in the union brought me to a single conclusion, that the main advantage for workers was they they could not be fired, because the unions put so much red tape in the way that people who clearly should be fired go on working, completely protected. Other than that, all I ever saw was a weekly payroll deduction and newsletters that described the latest union convention in Vegas.
Missy Lee says
the 10,000 SCABS do NOT know what they are doing….
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news%2Flocal%2Flong_island&id=8311837
Ruth and Burton returned to their home here in Melville from a vacation 10 days ago to find they didn’t have phone service.
The phone rings, but when it’s answered, there is only static.
For Burton, the dedicated phone line is a lifeline.
“He puts a device on the phone. And the phone attaches to a computer at st. Francis hospital and they check the viability of his devices he has inside,” Steven said.
A pacemaker and defibrillator, his family says. So Ruth went to work.
“They at first got nothing. And she called from her cell phone and made repeated attempts for them to come,” daughter in-law Lori Bellask said.
Two Verizon workers did finally appear three days later, according to an email ruth sent to Verizon. She said they located a break in a cable and hoped they put in a work order to have it repaired.
She stressed in the email, “This is a medical emergency as my husband has a heart condition.”
“And he can’t use a cell phone because of the condition he has. It interrupts with the waves that he has in the pacemaker,” Steven said.
Four days later Ruth received an email from Verizon apologizing for “the delay in our response and regret any inconvenience.”
It goes on to promise “there is a repair report scheduled for completion on August 15, 2010 no later than 6:55pm.” The date appears to be wrong.
This, her family says, is now eight days since Ruth discovered her phone had no service.
Verizon, which is in the ninth day of a strike by communication workers, said in a statement, “given the medical emergency that was reported to Verizon, the company expedited the repair visits.”
A spokesman also says repair workers were sent out “to work on two separate and unrelated problems on the family’s line.”
“Hours and hours on the phone trying to make Verizon understand the severity of this being that my father in law is not a well man and both of them being elderly,” Lori said.
Then unexpectedly Ruth wakes up Tuesday morning in distress her family says with labored breathing.
Burton still has no service on this phone they say and cannot use a cell phone to call for help.
“He has to go out and tap on neighbors doors to try and wake them up for them to call,” Steven said.
First responders eventually arrived, but Ruth passed away.
Even after her death, there is still no service on the phone.
“For a big company like Verizon to do something like that is terrible. It’s a shame,” Steven said.
Missy Lee says
and if bringing it locally helps…
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2011-08-11/business/bs-bz-verizon-strike-20110811_1_verizon-strike-candice-johnson-replacement-workers#.TkxoaG0Ts14.facebook
Sharon Kruskamp, the community’s executive director, said that only about a dozen of the 159 independent living residents still have service.
Over the past several months, Verizon — in anticipation of the end of the workers’ contract — trained managers from all departments to take over call centers and handle service requests in case of a strike, said spokesman Richard Young.
ALEX R says
Well it looks like you guys are back to work. Without a contract. You were smart to give in because you don’t have a leg to stand on with the benefits you get. No, I don’t work for them, none of my family works for them, and I have no stock in Verizon. I had one experience 2 years ago with Verizon unionized employees because I had no land line service for over 2 weeks and the techs couldn’t fix it. I finally raised so much heck that they sent out a manager and he fixed it in less than 10 minutes without going in my house. Better get what you can while you can because the days of land line service are drawing to an end. Why also pay for land line when nearly everyone has a cell? Fios for internet and TV? Maybe, but the local cable service is fine making Verizon unionized employees redundant. You have priced yourselves ou of the market.