Verizon on Strike!
by workersrights
(No verified email address) 07 Aug 2011
http://www.massjwj.net/node/59779
As you have heard, the IBEW and CWA are on strike against Verizon, including Verizon Wireless. The unions will picket all locations including the wireless stores and will be calling for a boycott.
Though they approached bargaining with the intention to reach a fair deal, Verizon had a different agenda. The compny began bargaining by proposing a series of demands that would shift the cost of healthcare, eliminate pensions, and eliminate job security. The company has also made it clear that they wish to transfer more work out of the bargaining unit and most likely out of the country. For good measure, Verizon has proposed slashing paid sick days and removing Martin Luther King Jr. Day and Veteran's day as paid holidays.
As bargaining approached it's final hours, the company refused to have any real discussions about these vital issues. Instead, they stalled until the final minutes and simply reiterated their intention to achieve more profits on the backs of the workers.
The solidarity that has been on display in recent weeks is truly humbling to the men and women who are in this struggle. Now these folks are on strike and need to ask for your continued support. Verizon is now ground-zero for the war on workers. We intend to fight with great vigor and a righteous anger against the greed that is crushing our middle class. We will win, and we will stop this war on workers right here at Verizon. It's our time and we will Stand Up! We will Rise Up! And we will most certainly Act UP! We ask you to join with us!
Jobs with Justice wll be helping at FIOS sites, Wireless Sites and their Headquarters. If you can, please stop by 185 Franklin Street in Boston today.
Verizon Workers Need your Support!
Highly profitableVerizon wants major concessions from its employees in contract talks that expired August 6th
Verizon Is Proposing:
Major Reductions in Wages:
* Raises will be tied to yearly evaluation, which means if you receive a “Does Not Meet Position Requirements” you will not receive an increase. This leaves workers at the mercy of their supervisors, much like workers who don’t have a union.
* Eliminate Night Differential pay for workers on the night shift and second shift
* Eliminate Sunday premium pay and all overtime limitations.
* Create new job titles for the consumer and business call centers that would work on a commission based wage schedule.
Destruction of workers’ pensions:
* Eliminate pensions going forward. For anyone currently on the payroll pensions will be frozen as of December 31, 2011 and after that, there will be no more pension plan.
* Eliminate the Pension Cash-Out option. , Modify the 401(k) plan, and eliminate the Sickness & Death Benefit.
Weakening of health care provisions:
* Eliminate the current health care, prescription, dental, and vision plans and offer plans with high deductibles and co-pays.
* Eliminate accident disability benefits.
* Cut in half the sickness disability benefits.
* Reduce sick time pay to 5 days per year for those members with 20 or more years, 4 days for those with 15 - 20 years, 3 days for those with 7- 15 years, 2 days for those with 2 – 7 years and 0 days for those with less than 2 years.
Elimination of some paid holidays:
* Reduce Paid Holidays to seven by eliminating such “unimportant” holidays such as Martin Luther King Day and Veterans Day.
* Eliminate the half day on Christmas Eve
Reduction of child care support:
* Eliminate the Dependent Care Reimbursement Fund. Every year Verizon is voted one of the best places for working mothers by Working Mothers magazine for this benefit that helps workers pay for childcare.
Gutting of job security provisions:
* Eliminate the Job Security Provisions for all employees and eliminate the Movement of Work Protection. In other words Verizon can now outsource jobs and not have to negotiate the impact on workers.
Last year Verizon made $3.6 billion in profit in 2010 and paid the top 10 executives handsomely. They paid zero in federal income tax. Their proposals seek to eliminate good jobs. The standards that Verizon workers have are the standards that we should seek for all workers, not a race to the bottom. We need to send a very clear message that unchecked corporate greed is not acceptable in our community and that we will not stand by as they seek to undo progress made over the past twenty years. We need to stand unified and ready to fight for good jobs and a future for workers at highly profitable companies like Verizon.
This work is in the public domain
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