SUPPORT the verizon strikers: Verizon Landline Unit at Heart of Strike

[nadinbrzezinski]

In the nation’s largest strike in four years, Verizon Communications and its unions are deeply divided over the company’s assertions that its traditional landline business is performing so badly that it needs large-scale concessions.
Enlarge This Image

Stephen Yang/Bloomberg News
Verizon employees picketed in front of the company's New York corporate office on Monday.
The unions’ refusal to believe Verizon is one reason, labor relations experts say, that the 45,000 workers who went on strike Sunday are already dug in and braced for a lengthy walkout. Heightening the stakes, some industry analysts say Verizon sees the weak economy as a prime opportunity to chop union costs. Verizon has repeatedly stressed that it needs to cut costs in its landline business because that division’s customer base and profit margins have fallen over the last decade. Many consumers have dropped landlines in favor of competing options like mobile phones, cable and Skype.

Verizon officials describe its heavily unionized landline division as a laggard, while Verizon Wireless, a largely nonunion joint venture in which Verizon is majority shareholder, is hailed as the shining star, its hefty profits lifting the rest of the company.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/technology/sagging-verizon-landline-division-is-at-the-heart-of-strike.html

[mitchtv]

1. That's CWA folks

solidarity

[Ruby the Liberal]

4. Yes - please see response below for contact information

The Verizon office for my region is about 2 blocks from me. I am going to take their contact information to the picket line tomorrow.

[Broderick]

2. land lines are dying

Haven't had one in 10 years.

I don't know what to say about all of this, but I know one thing. Either way, the corporations will be protected by government, and I know the little guy loses in the end. We have seen it with manufacturing in this country for decades now.

[Ruby the Liberal]

5. Like the USPS, you can't blame the government on this.

Technology has made them obsolete - but it is bullshit that their CEO was #11 and #10 on the pay list on Forbes for 2009/10.

They still need to support those who pay for their services.

[Broderick]

6. Don't get me started on the pedigree

immersing in the corporate world. That is a whole nother subject. But, You make a great analogy to the technology change. It's not so hard to understand, but when you see your livelihood being threatened, you get angry. I understand it. I don't know how to fix it. I can't reinstall Windows 3.0 to put jobs back in place that Windows today took away.

[Ruby the Liberal]

9. I hear ya, friend.

I am taking water and pizzas to the line here tomorrow at lunch. While their jobs may eventually be obsolete, the company is STILL making $100b in revenue a year and they can afford to pay the people to maintain that pipeline - regardless of their 'shrinking' margins.

[Broderick]

10. Honestly, this could have been predicted obviously

Retrain those willing to move into other aspects of the technology growth and carry on as it evolves. Nope, they hire new and discard the old workers. Now it's scary what the line you are feeding is going through.

[Ruby the Liberal]

13. Roger that.

I know quite a few who work there. Being smokers, we huddle in the back alley together regardless of weather. :) There was a buyout ('early retirement') a few years back and quite a few I knew took it. The others talk about wanting to move into FiOS but as of last month, my town isn't even on the 5 year plan for a FiOS installation. Being that this office is a regional landline operation, they will need to look elsewhere for now.

[Broderick]

14. You know the ground game better than me, and it seems

you are attached or right there in it. This is not an easy thing. This is not as simple as some want to portray. I just support the front line, and hope for the best, but as an industry - it is clear the writing is on the wall.

[Ruby the Liberal]

15. I used to work for a union as a regional rep :)

I don't know squat about the telcomm industry, but know it isn't gone yet - and still bringing in tons of cash. All I know right now is my old smoking buddies are out there in this oppressive heat carrying signs all day and they will be famished by noon.

:D

Solidarity.

[Broderick]

16. And you support them

I commend and respect you. 100 percent. The company is making money, but in other sectors, and they ought regard the employees that brought them there with more respect. Retrain. Retool. Keep those that brought you there.


Solidarity.

[IamK]

7. people under 25 probably don't know what they are.... try to find a pay phone anymore... n/t

[Broderick]

8. True

you are correct. Even the cable companies have bitten into the land line business. Through Cable and DSL. It's a dying creature. It is not an easy solution methinks.

[Ruby the Liberal]

11. Ironically, a few months ago when I was walking in front of the Verizon

building here just a few months ago, something seemed missing, but I couldn't put my finger on it. A few days later, I noticed the bold holes in the concrete sidewalk and realized that they took out the pay phone.

Ironic in that this is mere blocks from a homeless shelter and it was not uncommon to see a line waiting to use it.

[Broderick]

12. That is irony

[Ruby the Liberal]

3. Help for Verizon workers from CWA

This keeps getting RT'd to my timeline from the Communication Workers Union:

cwa1101
#VERIZON WIRELESS WORKRS Time 2 join middle class + join Union! Contact us: 212-633-2666 (our UNION phones work!)

cwa1101
WOW! "Verizon Wireless employees dont seem 2know VZ has union members.VZ is good at keeping it very hush hush"

cwa1101
HEY #VERIZON WIRELESS WORKERS did u know if u join Union u join middle class? Contact us: cwa1101.org