back to article Verizon worker strike now in its third week

Last month, Verizon staff along with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) decided to go on strike as union and the US telco failed to agree on a new contract. Now, as the strike enters its third week, both sides are hunkering down for what they believe could be a long and ugly battle. Verizon employees on the Eastern …

  1. NotBob

    Verizon has always seemed to believe their employees were expendable. Unfortunately, it's that or Comcrap in my area, and neither thinks much of customers, either.

    Still thinking about switching...

    1. Mark 85

      The problem is that it's just not those two. It seems to be every corporation even "not for profit" types that are hurting themselves in the long run. If they can't get their way, they outsource. If they do get their way, it's still bad for the employees. Either way, morale and quality of work suffers which, I don't think the beancounters will ever realize how this does affect the bottom line.

      If the companies would re-learn to take care of employees, the employees will produce better products and take better care of the customers. Which will improve the bottom line.

  2. ma1010
    Go

    Good on 'em!

    It's the people vs. the giant corporations, and it's a scary battle. Let's hope the human beings win out over the mega-corporations. We can't beat them at the ballot box anymore, so maybe we can hurt them with strikes, at least.

    Verizon thinks they're invulnerable. Maybe they are. But they might want to think about what happened to UPS. They totally dominated shipping - until their strike. After that they haven't seemed (to me, anyhow) to have ever gained back the business or respect they once had.

    1. Youngone Silver badge

      Re: Good on 'em!

      I'm pretty sure the major US ISP's with their regional monopolies and political support really are invulnerable.

      Open secrets reckons they spent about $13 million lobbying last year, which is probably more that any union can spend, and as we know, the US has the best government money can buy.

    2. Down not across

      Re: Good on 'em!

      t's the people vs. the giant corporations, and it's a scary battle. Let's hope the human beings win out over the mega-corporations. We can't beat them at the ballot box anymore, so maybe we can hurt them with strikes, at least.

      It is uneven battle. The human being never wins. I suspect the strike probably hurts all the other employees (either not unionized or in other roles) more than it hurts the company.

    3. PaulFrederick

      Re: Good on 'em!

      Corporations are people too. Hasn't Mittens taught you anything? I should go scab at Verizon. I'd work for half of what those people walked away from. Who am I kidding? A quarter of their salary would be a good gig. It would still be considerably higher than the wage average here.

  3. Sebastian A

    So what is this best offer of theirs?

    A $0.12/hr payrise, a slightly better brand of instant coffee in the break room, and removing the single-ply tp from the toilets? (No, they're not replacing it with something better, there just won't be any tp).

  4. Mephistro
    Holmes

    "Workers wouldn't go on strike for three weeks without damn good reasons, so Verizon's "great offer" is probably an utter crap.

    (© 2016 by Captain Obvious)

    1. Down not across

      @Mephistro

      We don't know if the offer is utter crap or not. Neither side has given (that I would have seen) out anything other than very vague comments about the core of the dispute.

      This looks to be more about unions and the power they may or may not wield and coporations getting increasingly unhappy about the unions than about the contract.

      1. Mephistro

        Re: @Mephistro

        Actually there is a link in the article: http://district1.cwa-union.org/news/entry/verizon_regional_bargaining_report_53#.VykLGJMrIU0

        It seems quite detailed.

        Disclaimer: I posted my comment before reading the link. :-)

        1. Down not across

          Re: @Mephistro

          I stand corrected. Whilst there are few points mentioned, there is an awful lot that isn't mentioned. Perhaps futher details of the contract / proposals are not for public consumption especially since whole contract is still in dispute.

          Of the 7 points on that link only two stand out (freezing pension accruals and reduction of disability benefits) as unfair.

          "Elimintating job security" ? Seriously? So someone actually has contractual job security? I thought that only happened in civil service. For most people job security is the length of notice period.

          The stuff about call centres and contracting work seem like normal business which any company would be free to arrange how they see fit.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Trollface

    Verizon employees on the Eastern Seaboard shut down operations

    Standard operating procedure, in other words.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    No surprise

    Welcome to the world of the large corporations.

    They are lucky to have unions.

    Other, big, blue, companies just get rid

  7. wolfetone Silver badge
    Thumb Up

    Don't Let The B*stards Drag You Down

    Solidarity from the United Kingdom.

  8. ShortStuff

    Where is this "last best final offer" ??

    Why doesn't somebody post the actual offer that is being made? Sounds to me like they're kind of ashamed of not accepting it because any other worker would love to have the job they're striking over. I understand they have about $130,000 in salary and benefits, with "Cadillac" health insurance. If they want to complain about healthcare costs, look in the mirror .. it was your own fault by voting for the liberals that implemented Obamacare. You're lucky to have what you get from the employer.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Unity is strength.

    At least the employees have a Union with some guts... Ours is as much use as a wet lettuce. Anon....as I'll cop for it from both sides.

  10. paulf
    Pirate

    A $400m fund

    FTA: "The union has told reporters it has set aside a $400m fund that could be paid out to the striking Verizon workers..."

    So this Union, which presumably has members in other businesses not just Verizon, has the fat end of half a billion dollars kicking around to support workers just in this particular strike. I can't see they've decided to burn some reserves since that could destabilise their finances (perhaps fatally) so this must be a specific fund to support strikers which has been wheeled out to show Verizon they're serious. A noble gesture I'm sure, and 10/10 for financial planning, but where would a workers union get such a non-trivial amount of cash? I know that us right pondians have some strike happy unions but I can't imagine the RMT has that kind of money down the back of the sofa.

  11. Mark 85

    Depending on the union, here in the States, the dues are based upon the pay check. With some unions, the dues can be eye-watering but they do provide retirements and insurances.. There's good and bad with unions and often the bad is the leaders sucking funds.

POST COMMENT House rules

Not a member of The Register? Create a new account here.

  • Enter your comment

  • Add an icon

Anonymous cowards cannot choose their icon

Other stories you might like