Update: This morning at 6 a.m., more than 39,000 Verizon employees have gone on strike. Stand with them now!
Today, unions of working people at Verizon announced that they will strike on Wednesday morning if their bosses fail to come to the table to negotiate a mutually beneficial agreement. More than 39,000 Verizon employees, members of the Communications Workers of America (CWA) and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), are ready to take the streets to demand a fair return on their work.
During the last round of contract negotiations in 2011, Verizon came to the table with a long list of demands that would have undone decades of hard-earned progress. Ultimately, after a two-week strike and 16 months of escalating mobilization by working people and allies like Jobs With Justice, working people at Verizon successfully negotiated a sustainable contract and fought back the worst of the corporation’s demands. When Verizon came to the table last year with an eerily similar opening proposal, it was clear that the telecom giant has a long-term agenda to cut jobs that sustain families, decrease its menu of services they offer to many of our communities and offshore and contract out work overseas and to contractors.
Verizon employees’ contracts expired last August, and an overwhelming majority of CWA and IBEW members voted then to authorize a strike in case labor and management fail to reach fair contracts. As the teams of working people at Verizon stand together, it’s important that we have their backs. If Verizon gets its way, we’re allowing Verizon’s CEO to rewrite the rules in their favor yet again, instead of ensuring that more of our friends and neighbors have jobs that value our families and bolster our communities.
As you see the news about the strike playing out in the press or discussed in conversations in your town, here are five reasons to back the working people at Verizon in their negotiations with the telecommunications giant:
1. Verizon makes billions each year, yet they still expect people to do more with less.
The corporation raked in $9.6 billion in profits in 2014, $39 billion over the last three years – and $1.8 billion a month in profits over the first three months of 2016. And from 2010 to 2014, Verizon executives made more than $249 million. Apparently, Verizon corporate bosses are unsatisfied with their massive profit margins and want to make working people do more with less. In negotiations thus far, Verizon has asked its loyal workforce for huge cuts to retirement security and benefits to people injured on the job, increases in employee health-care costs, and elimination of job security. Additionally the company wants to uproot technicians to work away from home for as long as two months without seeing and taking care of their families who depend on them. These are life-altering changes to the men and women at Verizon who are just trying to pay their bills and ensure a brighter future for their families.
2. Verizon plays dirty.
Instead of putting forward reasonable negotiating terms, Verizon has invested resources in training 15,000 employees to take over in the case of a work stoppage. Verizon has also given its non-union employees a mobile surveillance app that can monitor and take geotagged photos of union members throughout negotiations. Essentially, it’s a tattletale app with the sole purpose of intimidating people from coming together in union at work.
3. Verizon wants to get rid of good union jobs and outsource instead.
The men and women in union who work at Verizon have worked hard to create better workplaces for themselves and those that follow. But just like in 2011, Verizon wants its employees to give them the thumbs up to contract out work, replacing good, hometown jobs with cheap labor. Since 2005, the percentage of Verizon employees in union has dropped from nearly 70 percent to less than 30 percent.
4. Verizon refuses to expand FiOS.
Consumer demand for high-speed Internet is higher than ever. Several years ago, Verizon got tax breaks and rate hikes in exchange for expanding FiOS, its high-speed Internet, phone and video connection, throughout the Northeast. But in 2012, Verizon announced it would no longer expand its FiOS service, leaving customers in many places without access to high-speed Internet. Why would the company not want to increase its customer base for a popular service? Some believe Verizon is choosing not to repair and modernize its outdated copper wire system and grow FiOS because the company doesn’t want to invest in the people who maintain and install the service.
The company has also been accused of redlining poor and minority communities. In New York, the FiOS expansion was concentrated in affluent city suburbs, while low-income, urban areas were left behind. Other communities that have been excluded from the FiOS expansion include Bethlehem, Pa., Baltimore, Md., and Roanoke, N.C. Verizon is now trying to get out of the business of landlines all together, which will mean poorer service and even fewer options for many customers, especially in poor and rural areas that are already on the wrong side of the “digital divide.”
“On the one hand, Verizon refuses to build its high-speed FiOS network in lower income areas. And on the other, they are systemically ignoring maintenance needs on their landline network,” said Ed Mooney, vice president for CWA District 2-13, which covers Pennsylvania to Virginia. “This leaves customers at the mercy of a cable monopoly or stuck with deteriorating service while Verizon executives and shareholders rake in billions.”
5. Verizon has a long history of ripping off taxpayers through tax evasion.
Verizon isn’t just looking to cut costs by slashing benefits and eliminating jobs; one of America’s most successful businesses is also taking money from taxpayers. From 2008 to 2013, Verizon received a tax refund of $732 million from the IRS, which resulted in a corporate income tax rate of minus two percent. That’s right, a negative income tax rate! Verizon is also culpable of stashing money abroad to avoid paying income taxes. In 2012, Verizon stored $1.8 billion in offshore tax havens.
Verizon’s position is clear: make money, no matter the cost to our families, our communities and our country. Which makes our position just as clear: we must stand with the working men and women at Verizon who have gone strike to protect not just their own livelihoods, but also family-sustaining jobs for those that follow. Stand with working people at Verizon now!
use to work for them. too much stress.
Used to work for them, too…hated it! Glad to be out of there.
So you want Verizon to give raises and keep paying ridiculous pensions for a service they no longer want to sell? That makes sense. Also 100% of the profits comes from the Wireless side of Verizon, but I am sure that Verizon definitely wants to give raises to the part of the company that makes zero profit and is a drain on the company.
once again open mouth insert foot, your profit figure is wrong and they want to sell that part of the business including fios. do a little research before you spout off.
I worked for Verizon Wireless for 6 years, 3 of which I was a manager. This includes 2011 where the union protesters cost the majority of my innocent sales reps a commission check by standing outside of my store and screaming at customers that by going in they were supporting union busting. We had about 25% of the customers we normally would that month, costing my employees thousands of dollars. At least unions don’t try strong armed tactics anymore, oh wait….
Wow, was the lobotomy painful when you made manager? O worked in wireline for 40+ years and let me tell you that without wireline, wireless DOESN’T GET OFF THE GROUND. All wireless goes to cell towers by WIRELINE! Trust me, I helped connect them from the central offices.
So we should pay workers for what they have done in the past and not what they are currently doing? Should companies that set up pay phones still be making money because that helped lead to cell phones? Your argument is ridiculous. You do not pay people for what they have already done, and been paid for. You pay them for what they are currently doing for your company or are going to do.
I agree that Verizon SHOULD be paying their workers for what they’re currently doing! That’s my point! Those wireline connections to the wireless network still exist and are CUURENTLY maintained by Central Office and Testing Technicians. The profitable wireless network does not exist in a vacuum. Verizon employees are trained by the company to maintain the equipment once it is put in place. Verizon invested in my training and I’m proud to say I did my utmost to keep the network operating at peak efficiency in EVERY ONE of my central offices. Believe me, if I didn’t, you would NOT have been able to see this post on your smart phone. BTW, your screen name kind of gives me a clue as to your attitude toward working people.
So again, now that those wirelines are in place why is Verizon paying about 5X the amount it would take an outside contractor to do the same job of keeping up with those? In a capitalist country you should get paid the market value for your job and not what you feel you need. There is a reason why Verizon landline has basically frozen full time job hirings. It is much cheaper to pay an outside contracted company to keep up with those lines. So why again do you deserve 5X the actual market value (which includes your benefits) of your job? The lines are already there.
First of all, I don’t know where you got your “5x actual marker value”. The contracts we have negotiated between the unions & Verizon DETERMINED the market value. And ” outside contractors” will not be as qualified to do the work, since they won’t “own the job” the way people like me did. Like I said before, I worked in numerous positions in the company over 40+ years, had the integrity to do the job at 100%, and took pride in my work, like many if my colleagues. I can guarantee that a “contractor” will NOT apply the same approach. Your attitude, again a zero-sum game apparently to only the bottom line, is the reason why there is the erosion that exists in the middle class. Check your history. When AT&T was the “monopoly”, part of the deal with the government was to ensure “universal telephone service” in the country by making business long distance billing subsidize local service to the average customer so no matter how far they lived from a CO, they could get AFFORDABLE phone service. You will no doubt call that “socialism”. I called that big business being a good citizen and making sure EVERYONE who needed phone service could afford it. That responsible attitude by corporations has been missing since the Reagan era started eroding collective bargaining. Unfortunately, all you and your types only see the profit bottom line as the be all and end all. I feel sorry for you and your future progeny.
Joe;
Any time strikers picket unaffiliated locations, or vandalize equipment, or attempt to block traffic, the result is most definitely NOT a “market value” determination.
Now, if the strikers simply struck and withheld their labor – no pickets, no vandalism, no attempts at intimidation, etc. – THEN you could end up with a market-determined contract. But since when have unions been content with having the wages of their members based on their actual market worth? Never, to my knowledge. They ALWAYS want an “edge”, being it forced “fair share” fees, “exclusive representative” status that doesn’t allow for competition, “prevailing wage” laws, or whatever. Bottom line is that unions as they are constituted in America today are the very antithesis of market-derived contracts….and to claim they’re not is simply being disingenuous.
Show us your numbers versus your opinion Ken.
So, who do you think maintains these lines, stays trained and educated on the newer technology, maintains the safety need to work around the sites (yes, there is a danger to working around these sites that Verizon could care less about if it was contracted out), and maintains the security of such circuits? That’s right, a technician who takes pride in his job because he is being paid to take pride in it. Your not going to find any of this in a contractor. Trust me, I know. All you have to do is look at Miss Utility to understand that but, then again, you wouldn’t because you have little knowledge to understand any of it.
Does “free market” really exist with tax abatements, subsidies, and tax loopholes existing?
We still connect Wireless Cell Sites with TLS circuits and T1’s on a daily basis but, do not expect you to understand AnyRandPaul; you have the bare requirements to know how the system works. Your stupidity is laughable.
Not still working on the landlines?
very sorry about your career choice
CAN’T HOLD A JOB?
Keep being a Sheep..CORPORATE GREED HAS GOT TO GO: “Verizon raked in $9.6 billion in profits last year. And from 2010 to 2014, Verizon executives made more than $249 million. From 2008 to 2013, Verizon received a tax refund of $732 million from the IRS, which resulted in a corporate income tax rate of -2 percent. That’s right, a negative income tax rate! In 2012, Verizon also stored $1.8 billion in offshore tax havens.”
And all of those profits came almost exclusively from the Wireless side, which are not unionized for 99+% of it. Verizon landline is a dinosaur that is an anchor on Verizon as a whole.
Do you really care about an American corporation that made $9.6 Billion in “profits” last year? I mean do you really care that in your words they are somehow being “anchored” by their employees? You sound envious, resentful and bitter.
It may look that way, however Verizon plays a great shell game of shifting costs to make wireline bear the costs while wireless looks insanely profitable.
No there is no shell game. The government has made it nearly impossible to run a landline at a profit without the government allowing a company to skirt the law. According to the law if you run landline to anyone in an area than you have to run it to anyone in that area, no matter how remote they are. This is why Verizon wants out of Fios altogether. Running fiber optic line is expensive and running it 2 miles for one customer takes away all profit you could make from all of the other customers.
Yea right. Just like Google wants out of fiber. You have been fooled in believing VZ wants out of FIOS. You’re about as sharp as a bowling ball boy.
Again spreading lies AnyRandPaul. California, Texas, and Florida were just sold to Fronteir Communications from Verizon with the FiOS footprint where it existed in those areas. Please quit talking about what you do not know anything about.
John D.
You do realize, don’t ya’, that your statement supports the claim that “AnyRand” was making? I.e. – that Verizon is voluntarily getting OUT of that business because of it’s lack of profitability?
I ask because you seem confused on the issue.
Show us Ken.
No true…. with multiple cable companies and wireless in just about every location in the United States; Verizon no longer has to provide service to every house or neighborhood in its footprint. As a matter of fact Verizon is picking an choosing which neighborhoods to enter and which not to enter in their footprint everyday based on profitability. It is sad that you spread ignorance AynRandPaul.
AYN has a google education with conservative slants. His statements are wrong and his opinions are worthless.
Now shut up and let the adults have a discusssion.
Lies, it is total BS, just a shell game. They move our profits to pay for wireless expansion. So you in yet again your fairy world think that FIOS was born to make a deficit? Or greedy offshore accounts the reason that corp shows a loss & uses your tax money & made billions?
How did decades during the regulated telcom era’s did the industry make 10x more jobs & then support education all while having excess profits? And your backwards thinking it is the Gov who is supporting VZ, while they rake in humongous profits.
Ricky;
Got a lot of first-person insights into the inner workings of Verizon’s finances, do ya’? One wonders how you became privy to the knowledge that made you such an “expert” [smile] on Verizon.
Thank Goodness that you’re willing to share that “expertise” with us!
Because you are the expert Ken?
How is it possible that you worked for Verizon wireless for 6 years and yet you obviously have no idea how a cell phone call works? I’d like to see where your cell phone traffic goes without the wireline network that the union worker builds and maintains. I can forgive the general public for not knowing this, (although the union and every union member should make it a point to explain it to them) but how does a Verizon manager not know this? I think it’s possible you might be a paid union basher, selling America’s middle class down the toilet for 50 gold pieces.
And Verizon wants to sub-contract this work rather than paying way over market value for this. Just because something is needed does not mean a company should overpay for it. When I was a manager at Verizon Wireless in 2011, the bully protestors cost their counterparts, sales reps in the stores, thousands upon thousands of dollars in commissions with their bully tactics towards customers. I can tell you from experience that those tactics severely hurt your chances of unionizing more stores because all you did was take food of Verizon Wireless’ employees plates. Good tactics though. The Verizon union membership is flourishing…O, wait
I want everyone to take notice that this person’s story just changed from the wireline side of the business makes “zero profit” (untrue, because the wireless needs the wireline network to exist) to ” Verizon wants to sub-contract this work rather than paying way over market value for this”. Well, Ayn Rand, thanks for falling for the divide and conquer. Do you have a million dollars in Verizon stock or something? Your kids will probably have nothing but min wage/no benefit jobs available to them in the future, and you can proudly tell them you helped it happen!
I stopped reading as soon as I realized the user name was AynRandPaul.
Can’t have any kind of discussion with an ideologue. Facts bounce right off them.
Jasper, although I did reply to this alleged former employee, I agree with you. I’ve replied my last to this person.
Jasper
Yeah, and*YOU* really have presented a lot of “facts”, haven’t ya’! And *YOU* sure aren’t any “ideologue”, are ya’?! [smile]
Yet you have not answered the questions.
Finally, AynRandPaul is a former disgruntled Verizon Wireless manager. Now it all comes together. Couldn’t hack being a manager and blames it all on the Wireline for his lack of ability to achieve in the Wireless sector. SAD SAD SAD
John D.
And you sound like a “disgruntled” parasite who can’t cotton to the idea that he has to compete with others to make a living. Big surprise that!
Show us where your “market value” is.
Hey zipper head, the Wireless are who they are because of the land line business. We used to support their ass all through the 90s. But we stood behind them. So your corporate America mentality is thanks for laying the ground work for our company, now we don’t need you no more.
Oh and FYI, you know we place amd maintain the fiber that allows your precious wireless service to exist
Your Welcome,
The Union
You do not understand the situation, my Sicilian friend. I remember when you used to work here, and you were a useless malcontent then. Some things never change.
Boy, you’re about as sharp as a bowling ball !!!
@AynRandPaul – Do you know what a backbone is? You are no different than the Verizon corporate who think everything wireless stays wireless. All wireless calls go into the ground but, I don’t expect the average Joe to know that.
Hey dumbass with the fake name, how do you think the towers are fed? Do you think the towers communicate with each other and with the central offices wirelessly? You are too stupid for words.
There would be no wireless without landline.
Hey uninformed, we the “landline” are more than half of wireless. When the call or data comes to cell tower it then goes landline. Or do you believe in fairies carry calls/data?
Ofcourse they need trained employees to cover while the union strikes. Consumers certainly don’t want billing issues nor service problems. Makes good sense to me. Not to mention Verizon employees make a living wage…aka they get paid well above the norm. The union makes about as much sense of the fast food workers wanting $15 an hour that would in turn make fast food not affordable. Whatever happened to being satisfied with your job with amazing benefits and actually performing an excellent service in return? If you don’t like where you work….don’t work in that industry. I for one don’t want my phone bill any higher just because they want a bigger salary and better benefits when Verizon already gives them those two things! Ridiculous!
if not for the guts and sacrifice of unions employees past and present you would be squatting in a field if big business had its way. have you not read of the record profits this company makes their wages and benefits have nothing to do with your bill, greed is why your bill is what it is, your comment is pretty narrow minded.
CORPORATE GREED HAS GOT TO GO: “Verizon raked in $9.6 billion in profits last year. And from 2010 to 2014, Verizon executives made more than $249 million. From 2008 to 2013, Verizon received a tax refund of $732 million from the IRS, which resulted in a corporate income tax rate of -2 percent. That’s right, a negative income tax rate! In 2012, Verizon also stored $1.8 billion in offshore tax havens.”
Dave;
Again, start your own competitive company in order to go head-to-head with those entities of “corporate greed”! Show ’em YOURSELF “what for”!
Problem solved! [cackle…gosh you really ARE a “big man” when it comes to criticizing those who actually ARE making significant contributions to society aren’t ya’? It’s just a damned shame that you’re comparatively so damned “small” when actually called upon to make such contributions YOURSELF. Why is that, I wonder?]
Tracey Taylor, we are not asking for more money or better benefits. We would like to just keep what we have especially when the company is making record profits and giving themselves (management) drastic raises. They are the greddy ones.
Maybe the people making decisions are misrepresenting your needs then…because no doubt Union is asking for pay increases.
HEY Tracy while i understand your concerns the reality is as long as the business model today is driven by wallstreet your cost will continue to rise regardless of wages.You reference our representatives misrepresenting it’s members.keyword negotiation,if we ask for exactly what we would settle for we’ll lose a piece of what hard working dedicated employees have fought decades for until there’s nothing left .Remember this isn’t a mom and pop shop’ it’s a corporation .One where we all contribute to it’s bottom line.Remember successful people don’t look downward for inspiration(comparison) I Believe a closer look at the overall picture would bring you more in line with our struggle.thanks for your concern .A rising tide lift all boats.
There will not be trained employees, believe me. They will hide behind buildings in the phone trucks like they did for the last strike. You are talking about managers that never climbed a pole in their life and now you expect them to climb a pole during a temporary strike. Lady please! As far as denying fast food workers $15 and hour, please get off your high horse before someone knocks you off. $15 an hour is pathetic to live on let alone raise a family. As far as being satisfied with your job please explain to me why the CEO needed a 16% raise to 18.3 million a year. Wonder if he’s satisfied. You make no sense…….
I didn’t say $15 an hour is enough to live on…I’m simply stating what the fast food workers were asking for. As for knocking me “off my High horse”…good luck with that. Thanks for the vague threat when I merely stated my opinion as you did. You don’t know me…I am a home health nurse. Let’s talk about not being paid enough to deal what I do on a daily basis..whining non compliant patients that are ready to sue at any moment. We don’t have a union representing us and somehow we make it thru. Verizon takes care of their employees and pays them decent salaries with an outstanding benefit package. All these strikes accomplish is taking money out of middle management pockets that does ALL the works for the executives who don’t even get paid overtime while employees on strike continue to receive a paycheck. It’s disgraceful. And that’s my opinion…which by law I’m allowed to have
Employees on strike do not continue to get a paycheck!!!! Get your facts straight!
Get your facts straight!!
No we don’t get paid whilst on strike…
Tracy and Amy;
Funny, but I thought the CWA was telling its members in NY to apply for unemployment benefits….benefits primarily financed by the employers. Reference ….
“New York Unemployment Insurance Information”
….. on the CWS’s District 1 website at….
http://district1.cwa-union.org/news/entry/verizon_unemployement_insurance_information#.Vx1KMC
YoA_t
.Maybe next time you might want to take a look in the mirror and reconsider before telling someone ELSE to “get your facts straight”
“whining non compliant patients”. yes you seem like someone I would want watching over my loved one. And FYI Strikers don’t get paid so it’s a big sacrifice to walk the picket lines. You make it seem like Union workers want a strike. Nobody on either side wants a strike. We just want a fair contract. If you can justify the CEO making over $18 mil a year how can you deny average workers their increases?
He is a CEO
Your “opinion” doesn’t make sense…
Q. how much money did Verizon make in “profit” last year?
A. $9.6 BILLION!
Wouldn’t a pool of $9.6 Billion suffice to support your “taking money out of middle management” claim?
Others have said and I will echo, employees on strike DO NOT receive a paycheck, unless in some instances the workers have paid into a strike fund.
What strikes accomplish is in fact the “decent salaries with outstanding benefits”, which you seem to resent.
McMullans;
Actually, in some jurisdictions they also receive unemployment compensation, the bulk of which was/will be financed by their employers
As for what strikes “accomplish”, tell that to the NWA mechanics that went of strike a few years back. Or the strikers at Hostess Bakery. Or those that held out at Diamond Walnut in California for more than a decade. Or the Teamster-organized nurses at Northern Michigan Hospital who Jimmy Hoffa the junior bragged he would march in with when they went back to work. Or the Congress Hotel service employees who picketed outside their employer for year after year. Or the once-upon-a-time Electro-Motive employees up in Canada. And, of course and lest we forget, what about those Air Traffic Controllers of a few years back?
I think you know as well as I that I could go on and on with such a list.
Anyway, did they seem to accomplish “”decent salaries with outstanding benefits” through their strikes? Or did the strikes they engaged in simply provide a method of pissing away their means of making a living?
I think you know the answer to that as well as I do.
Sounds as if you would benefit from joining a Union. But no, rather than follow this logical conclusion, you instead root for others to be dragged down in this race to the bottom. You’re misguided.
Tracey.. Having worked for Verizon, if there’s a strike, the employees do not receive a paycheck. Just to set the record straight.
Tracey, if you’re truly a nurse, you need to get in touch with some of the nursing unions in the northeast. The nurses union is one of the strongest unions in the region. They are highly skilled, make a good wage and are a supportive bunch of folks.
As a former employee, your statement about receiving a check while on strike is erroneous. Last strike I participated in was in the 90’s and we went weeks without a check, the union bosses however still get paid and if you ask for help, you are SOL. Please get the facts on that straight before posting, the benefits are amazing and the pay is very good, but you do have to show your worth or they will let you go. You are allowed to your opinion as is everyone else here, but sometimes we need to pull someone else’s coat so they don’t repeat tales out of school.
Michael S.
Since when have wages supposed to have been predicated on what it takes to “live on”? Aren’t wages supposed to be paid on the basis of the market value of the labor provided? Or have we actually sunk to that “Animal Farm” “Four legs good, two legs b.a.a.a.a.d” level where the slogan of the day is the old Marxist saw of “From each according to his ability, to each according to his need” crappola?
Now maybe welfare is a societal function….although many would deny it. But is sure isn’t a job provider’s one! He’s hiring LABOR, not presuming to subsidize individuals to some arbitrary they say they need to “live on”.
Now if OTHERS – including you – want to subsidize others in terms of what they need to “live on”, then you go right ahead! But please lay off the backs of those who are ALREADY doing more than their fair share in that regard.
Perhaps you should go back and read the article and then form an opinion, Yes, Verizon workers make a living wage, and are well cared for by the company. That is because they have a union that will fight for them to keep these wages. Verizon made billions of dollars last year, on the back of these employees. They are the ones who fix the telephone lines, and who work hard to be sure that individuals, families and businesses have telephone and internet services. They are the people who climb poles in the middle of a storm to reattach a wire that has caused a internet black out. Most companies are dependent on these services; services that would not exist without the people who work to make sure these service wires and other things are maintained and don’t fail. And as far as being satisfied with your job? You don’t understand what they want to take away. They want to stop paying people pensions who have already retired. They don’t want to fund the 401k, nor do they want employees to earn retirement. They want to outsource jobs so that these people who have worked so hard to earn them their billions don’t have jobs. And I can promise you that if there is a strike these trained people that you are touting will do nothing but screw things up, just like they did the last time. It took weeks for the employees to get things running correctly again.
Lastly, it is wise not to judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes. I hope that you are never in the position is which you may lose everything.
Suzanne;
One wonders why, if the landline business is so profit-centered and “hunky-dorry”, Verizon chose to divest itself of a large portion of it recently? And why it appears ready to divest even more if given the chance?
Guess you and your union fellows have more business acumen than the management of the company, ‘eh? [smile]
BTW, have you thought of the full implications of your “walked a mile in their shoes” comment? Walked quite a few miles in the shoes of higher Verizon executives, have ya’? [second “smile”]
I am wondering if you know that Verizon took money from the government, your tax money, and agreed to expand FIOS all over the country? Have they paid that money back money? No. Perhaps you should question what they have done with it.
No, I have not walked a mile in the shoes of Verizon executives, but I have walked with the very wealthy. I was raised in one of the wealthiest families in the country and do you know what I learned? I learned that you take care of your employees, you take care of the community in which your business is based. You don’t only worry about your stock holders, although they are extremely important. Verizon and other companies are not looking at the big picture. You seem to think that sending jobs over seas is fine as long as it makes the company money. Have you considered the what ifs What if the country in which you have sent your work goes through a regime change, and you can’t get your product to out. What if they suddenly realize that they are being taken advantage of and also demand higher wages? You have screwed your American employees, they won’t work for you. and now nothing is being accomplished overseas because the overseas workers have become aware that they are of the injustice that has been done. Yes, Verizon has offered a pay raise, but the have also “offered” to raise the cost of insurance, so that raise is moot. They want to be able to say to an employee, “We are transferring you for six months to another town, you leave on Monday. Don’t like it, we will send your job over seas.” Hardly fair, or productive. You should not have to worry that you are suddenly going to be ripped out of your community. My point is that this fight is not as simplistic as you have condescendingly made it out to be.
This fight is to make everyone aware that American Workers need and deserve their jobs and to have their jobs secured. They are the backbone of the country, and without them, eventually, things will fall apart. Also do you work full time and have benefits? Do you take vacations and have a forty hour work week? Are your children in school instead of at a work house? You can thank Unions for that; if people had not stood when they did and said enough is enough we would still be living in the dark ages.
They TOOK money from the government? TOOK…and as opposed to NOT having it taken FROM them?
As for what you “learned”, it’s fairly obvious that all you “learned” was to repeat the demand “gimme, gimme” over and over again.
Tell ya’ what, Toots…why don’t you ACTUALLY walk a mile in the shoes of those executives? Why don’t YOU form a company, finance it, create and maintain employment opportunities and treat YOUR workers the way YOU think they should be treated? If they “deserve” jobs, then why don’t *YOU* provide them! Problem solved!
Sound like a plan?
* T H A T * – compared to simply criticizing to those who are INFINITELY better than you in terms of making a contribution to society and it’s economy, would be what’s “fair”.
Why do I think, however, that when it ACTUALLY comes down to even walking a few FEET in the “shoes” of those you c riticize, that you’d quickly dump them and go back to your holier-than-thou- pumps, or sandals, or whatever? You know…footwear provided by OTHERS!
As for what I should “thank” unions for, what I can “thank” them – and people like! – for is driving literally MILLIONS of jobs away from this country and damned near destroying it in terms of competitiveness on the world stage. And as for “enough is enough”, frankly those of us who DO contribute to society – and ARE responsible for providing paid vacations, forty-hour work weeks (although I’ll freely admit that the unions have become quite adept at providing ZERO hour work weeks of late!) and all the other benefit people like YOU are falsely claiming to have made possible, are getting sick of parasites like you and your kind.
If you want to CONTRIBUTE something, then CONTRIBUTE! But if all you’re capable of doing is bitching at those upon which society DEPENDS, this world would be a Hell of a lot better off if you simply GOT OUT OF THE WAY!
As a final point, because I don’t have conversations with people whom are rude, and clearly single minded, I can’t possibly have a gimme gimme attitude if I don’t need.
Suzanne;
Sure you can’t, Toots…sure you can’t! That much is evident from your posts, isn’t it? [smile]
Well paid workers drive the economy of this country. The further Unions push benefits and wages, the more money gets distributed into the economy to aid EVERYONE. Even non-union jobs, who usually only raise their wages enough to keep their workers non-union.
The CEO and management want to sell off landlines not because they don’t make money and contribute to Verizon’s bottom line. FIOS is profitable, and it does make money, but it cost a little more to install and maintain than it does to have a slave wage worker in a third world country get the part you need for your cell service in the mail, so even though FIOS is profitable, the margin profit margin isn’t as great as it is on the wireless side. That being the case, management wants to foolishly put all their eggs into the greater profit margin basket and sell the rest for a one time even greater profit report that year so they can see their bonuses; which are based on profit increases; shoot to the moon that year; then take the money and run. Verizon will have been decimated into nothing but a wireless company with all their eggs in one basket, that will have to pay the landline company they sold off for their maintenance and use of their wireline infrastructure to keep their cell service operational. In the mean time, another deep pocket company like GOOGLE comes in with their cell service at a big discount; which they can afford to do because as I mentioned they do have deep pockets; and take a large percentage of Verizon’s cell customers; which they most certainly will. Verizon with all their eggs in one basket won’t have a leg to stand on and might even be out of business, but the managers who got their fat bonuses will have already taken the money and ran. In a nutshell, basically this is what it amounts to. Management could care less about it’s workers or even the future of the company as long as they can get a big cut and run.
Carlo;
Actually, the “further Unions push benefits and wages”, the more of their members jobs are that they lose…..jobs that are often driven overseas and lost to the country as a whole.
Doubt it? Well then show me the statistics as to good a job unions have done in maintaining and/or increasing their members employment prospects over the past few decades. The number of union jobs really increased, have they? [grin!]
Truth is that generally unions have driven wages DOWN, from a significant valuation to NOTHING! And anyway you look at it, a job with wages is better than NO JOB AT ALL. And “no job at all” is what unions have had to offer the bulk of their members over the past forty years or so.
People like you Tracy is why this country is going under.. People need to fight for wages to keep up with inflation.. Wages have been stagnant(counting inflation) since the 70’s . It ok for Verizon not to pay taxes and hide money in offshore accounts…Keep drinking the Cool-aid..
CORPORATE GREED HAS GOT TO GO: “Verizon raked in $9.6 billion in profits last year. And from 2010 to 2014, Verizon executives made more than $249 million. From 2008 to 2013, Verizon received a tax refund of $732 million from the IRS, which resulted in a corporate income tax rate of -2 percent. That’s right, a negative income tax rate! In 2012, Verizon also stored $1.8 billion in offshore tax havens.”
Dave;
Why SHOULDN’T wages be “stagnant”? Has worker productivity – based on the value of the labor the workers have offer ALONE – really increased?
As for the “fight to keep up with inflation”, has it ever dawned on you that the demands for higher wages that are NOT reflected in greater worker productivity are the ROOT CAUSE OF INFLATION????? That if society has to PAY “more” for labor that isn’t WORTH more, then that extra “pay” has to be ersatz “money” that is simply printed-up in one form or another? I.e. – “inflation”? Or are you one of those who really DOES believe that there’s such a thing as a “free lunch”?
As for “corporate greed”, again no one is stopping YOU from forming a COMPETITIVE enterprise that could – rather effectively, one would presume, based on your claims! – go head to head with Verizon WITHOUT being “greedy”…and by compensating it’s employees as YOU think they should be compensated.
How about it, Sport? You up for the task? Or are you just another one of those blowhards who loves to denigrate those entities that actually DO contribute something in the way of offering employment, etc., while essentially making NO contribution in that area themselves?
Tough to guess which, ‘eh? [smile]
You Ken must be listening to faux news…! http://www.epi.org/productivity-pay-gap/
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/13/sunday-review/americas-productivity-climbs-but-wages-stagnate.html?_r=0
Matt;
Note that even the Times article didn’t make mention of any worker-specific productivity increases that would justify higher wages….and, on that basis, I don’t see any reason to change my opinion[s]. Basically, all the Times seems to be saying is that one segment of society would be doing better if another segment gave into the first’s “gimme, gimme” demands. And, again, I’m not seeing it…..and I think I can pretty much guarantee that the NYT’s article’s author won’t be personally financing it, either.
The only way to “fight” for your wages is to improve the quality of work and actually EARN MORE.
” It ok for Verizon not to pay taxes and hide money in offshore accounts.”
Verizon pays a massive amount in taxes.
“Verizon executives made more than $249 million.”
YOU are the one being greedy and jealous. These people earn their pay. Some work is worth a lot more than other work. Don’t like it, improve your skills.
Hey Tracy, do you think for one minute that if the union concedes all they have sacrificed for. That your phone bill won’t go up. I have a bridge for sale. The CEO and other bigwigs are still going to make millions in bonuses whether the working class is in America or India. People like you make me sick. If our founding fathers had your mentality, we’d be begging for porridge from the Queen.
And if Obama and the marxist democrat party had their way we would all be on welfare and food stamps
F Obama, we work for our wages and benifits. On our sweat and tears the cooperate pigs feast on a trough of aplenty.
Obama and Welfare in the same statement, are you serious.The fear that dominates your exixtense is staggering.I wonder what it feels like to be you.I hope you get some help for it. Can be detrimental to your own interest.
Yet the union is griping because jobs are being outsourced! Seems that “the cooperate [sic] pigs” don’t really need you and those like you to “feast” at all now, does it? On the other hand, it also seems that there’s a great likelihood that you’re QUITE dependent upon those “pigs” for your daily bread.
Don’t worry, “Joseph”…I don’t think anyone ever expected much in the way of logical thought from the average union supporter.
So your for a company to profit $1.3 billion a month, get tax credits to offset them paying any taxes at all. Give higher ups 18 million in bonuses and cry poor.
Do you realize we only want what we have already, not asking for anything else. They wanted to save 245 million over the life of the contact, and we gave them a way to do it. They said it wasn’t enough. They want to send employees from Massachusetts to Virginia for 4 months at a time on 5 days notice when they feel like it. 40 cents of every dollar paid on your cell phone is pure profit. And I can spell corporate it was auto corrected you pompous schmuck.
Joseph;
If you “have it already”, then you wouldn’t be asking for “it”, would you?
The fact is you DON’T have it and you’re demanding another party PROVIDE “it” to you. See the problem there? You seem to think you own “it”, while others don’t quite see it that way. Instead, they see “it” as belonging to THEM, and something they’ll dispense as THEY see fit.
In truth, they’ve made an offer which you feel is inadequate…and there’s no law that says you have to take it. Nor is there any law that says they have to provide it. If you don’t cotton to what they’re offering – and feel it’s unfair – then might I suggest you simply walk away and find employment where they DO treat you fairly by your lights. If you’re correct in what you’re saying, you shouldn’t have any difficulty at all in doing that.
For some reason, however, I suspect you will. Frankly I seriously doubt that what you claim you “have already” can be readily obtained by you anywhere else. But who knows? Maybe the economy is crying out for 35,000 would-be workers who seem to be wanting to go out of their way to piss off their [ex?] employer.
Just curious ho much your monthly trust fund check is? Your right, todays economy is in the capper so let’s let the 1%,get richer and let a workforce of 35000 kick back and suckle on the government tit for a while. I mean the junior employees that are being so greedy have 15 years and up invested into a company that never shows a financial loss. And you know there are just a bountiful of jobs for people in their 40’s with families to start over and change careers. People like you are what’s wrong with the world today. You probably get brow beaten by your wife so you and your “quotation marks” hide behind your computer and act like you have all the right answers.Now go back and rub the misses feet.
Joseph;
Have these “junior employees” actually INVESTED in the company? Or have they just been collecting paychecks FROM the country lo those many years? If they were true INVESTORS, then they would appreciate just WHY the company hasn’t shown a financial loss….and would want to continue with the methods that have prevented it.
Why do I suspect, however, that they’re not true “investors” at all, but merely EMPLOYEES who have become dependent upon the wages they receive for labor they provide?
Which sort are YOU, I wonder? [grin!]
As for your “the 1%”? Last I looked, I believe there were actually more TRUE investors in Verizon than employees? And these TRUE investors had PUT THEIR OWN MONEY AT RISK as part of that investment…and where actually the backing for the wages paid employees. Should THEIR interests be denied just because jokers like you want to label them the “1%”? Sorry, Sport, but I’m not buying it.
ON the other, there’s nothing stopping YOU from “buying” the company – or it’s equivalent – at all. YOU be the one to make an ACTUAL “investment” in the company and accept the responsibility for paying the above-market compensation that you believe the strikers are owed. In truth, there’s not a damned thing preventing you from accomplishing such a goal….except you own inabilities, your own incapacity to “invest”.
No, Sport, it’s not people like me that are what’s wrong with the world. After all, we’re the ones who have made the very REAL investments that allow jokers like you to have jobs, Like it or not (and it’s obvious that you’re rather resentful fo the FACT), you DEPEND on “people like [me]”. No, what’s wrong with this world today is that there are far too many people like YOU; i.e. – people who believe that the world OWES them a living and who think that an “investment” is collecting wages from an economic better many, many years.
In any case, while I’m “rub[bin] the misses [sic] feet”, I’ll consider the value of the “investments” made by parasites such as yourself…who are real BIG when comes to demanding that others make economic contributions to employment and such, but when called upon to provide such support THEMSELVES are found to be about as small as Ringling midgets.
I reinvest 100% of my 401k investments back into company stock. As for douches like you, who buy some stocks with family money probably made off the backs of slaves and immigrants. You think that labor should be done for free and workers should bow down to the CEO and thank them for the privilege of serving them. Do me a favor stick your (sic) up your tight ass.
I’m done with you. How much of a loser you must be to go on a discussion group and reply to 5 year old comments. People like you only exist when we reply to you.
Joseph;
Not like YOU to jump to conclusions now, is it? [smile]
I don’t by any means think that “labor should be done for free”. I’m quite willing to pay a market-based wage for it. You, however, don’t seem satisfied with receiving a market-based wage (i.e. – on founded on the actual VALUE off the labor offered), but rather demand to be SUBSIDIZED. I.e. – you’re demanding WELFARE. You want WEALTH to be transferred to YOU…..for FREE!
Personally, I see a problem with that type of “gimme, gimme” attitude.
Tell me; do you think, if left unhindered, it would be impossible for Verizon to go out an hire the workers it needs at the level of compensation, etc. that they’re offering if? REALLY! And, if so, why are folks like you so agitated about Verizon placing employment elsewhere? Think through your “investment” that YOU should control the location of the jobs? Even though you didn’t create them, didn’t finance them, had virtually nothing to do with establishing the business they’re base on and what-not? Again REALLY!?
As for you being “done” with me….well, one could only hope. People like me have had parasites like you dangling around our necks from time immemorial, and I’ve little doubt that you’ll never really leave. Whether you want to admit it or not publicly, I suspect you realize that you’re virtually totally dependent on “losers” such as myself to provide you with the wages that enable you to make a living. No, you don’t “bow down”..but you DO panic like rats on a sinking ship when economic forces you COULD have dealt with positively in the past take jobs elsewhere and leave you in the dust. And so many times you and your kind wish you HAD had “bowed” just a bit when the time comes that you’ve driven all the good jobs away, as the employers that have them to offer discover that there are places in the world that APPRECIATE them!
Anyway, I’d like to thank you if you really ARE done with me. Good riddance! But I won’t hold my breath. I expect you’ll be hanging around with your hand out for a long, L-O-N-G time in the future. Time will tell, I guess.
Where are your numbers for this “market-based wage” Ken?
Those investor putting their money at risk versus the employees using their bodies and putting themselves at risk for the almighty dividend? What do you do for a living Ken?
Matt;
No one is forcing “the employees” to “put themselves at risk”, If they don’t want to run that “risk” and work for the wages offered them, then it’s no skin off my ass.
As for what I do for a living, at this stage in my life, I’m primarily managing investments that, along with others, allow employees to BE employees…and not simply starving dufuses twiddling their thumbs on the side of the road.
Yeah those call center employees on strike are really putting their bodies at risk aren’t they?
Many field techs that are working on the poles James.
Not linemen?
Ken I think you have it together and make a great argument. The only people bitching in this company are union employees who I guarantee make more than I do. None of my non union coworkers are upset either. Seems to me that all these union workers are more than welcome to leave the business and let the rest of us work alongside folks who enjoy their jobs. Maybe ATT is hiring.
Had they not proven their point wouldn’t the dividends, profit margin, and stock increased?
We should meet for lunch soon Ken.
Dems are for unions. Republicans are against them. Your logic is elementary.
Demo are for Unions because Unions pay them Billions fyi
Show us where you get your “billions” number.
Michael,
Don’t blame Obama for everything, but do blame yourself for your hatred and mental instability.
They would give you 29 dollars a month, I get very little on SSDI and thats what they gave me. I mean, very little
It’s their company and they should have the right to do what they want, to a point. That includes asking for concessions from a group run by a union or two that does nothing but serve it’s own self interest. Where is the pride in doing a good job? If you work for a union there is no such thing as pride. It’s an eight hour day and go home. Payday comes and part of your pay goes to the union along with your other taxes. The gov’t has enough fingers in my money. Also the founding fathers did not have to deal with unions, just taxation without representation. FYI, I did not and will not drink the Obumma Kool-Aid. He is a Democrud and a union lover.
Steve, Verizon has sent over 50,000 jobs to third world countries:India, Costa Rica, Mexico, Philippines, paying these people peanuts. These are jobs that Americans should be doing. They are certainly not passing the savings on to you. They are lining their pockets. The company makes billions in profit due to hard working union people who have built and maintain their network. They receive huge tax refunds yet outsource thousands and thousands of jobs
Stephen;
You say the profits are due to union people….but then point out that the jobs are being done by presumably NON-union people elsewhere. Se the dichotomy there? Got some logic in your claims? I ask, because frankly I’m not seeing it.
As for the jobs, you seem to forget that they are VERIZON’S jobs to offer to whoever THEY want to offer them to; not yours!
You’re free, of course, to start-up your OWN company and offer jobs that WON’T be outsourced….but somehow I doubt that’s likely to happen. Talk is cheap, while actually creating, financing, and maintaining private sector jobs is another matter entirely. Verizon actually did it. Until you do it on essentially the same scale, it’s difficult for me to see how you’re in a position to criticize without being hypocritical.
Hey Steve, enjoy your weekend, brought to you by unions. ….
Enjoy the devastation of Detroit and the rust belt. Brought to you by unions. Enjoy crumbling roads. Brought to you by unions. Enjoy high classes sizes and students who can’t read. Brought to you by unions. The list goes on…
Enjoy a long walk on a short pier.
Nice negative reaction to me pointing out the facts about the devastation caused by the union thugs’ war against workers and our economy.
And the Unions left Detroit for cheap labor, right? So you would rather bend over for big business than fight for what’s fare.
Thank God our ancestors weren’t as spineless as people like you, we’d be begging for more porridge from our masters…..
“And the Unions left Detroit for cheap labor, right?”
The correct word is “fair wages”.
In Detroit, you had very lousy workers being paid $65 an hour to make the worst cars in the country (Chrysler products at the time). Of course that could not be sustained. Not by the customers buying a fall-apart car built by drunken slobs who got rich from building it that way, for sure.
“Thank God our ancestors weren’t as spineless as people like you, we’d be begging for more porridge from our masters.”
An analogy that has nothing to do with anything. Our ancestors… giants that we stand on the shoulders of, actually, WORKED and BUILT.
Imagine if your ancestor came over from Ireland and laid about on the couch demanding that those NYC employers pay him $20 an hour instead of actually working to earn a fair wage. Now that would be spineless.
Anyway, the unions prevented the auto companies from paying a fair wage in Detroit, so they went to where they could pay a fair wage. Places like Atlanta, Georgia, where KIA workers (who proudly reject unions) make $22.65 in production.
Calling such a fair wage “cheap” is a meaningless value judgement.
And I’m sure the Kia executives only make $25 an hour right? The drunk (a very blanket statement by someone who is about fairness) union workers at Chrysler didn’t decide to use cheap products, they put them together. Sorry, I have to go to work, it’s only an 8 hour day, thanks to a union. I know without them I wouldn’t be able to say 8 hours……
KIA workers make money in proportion to the value of their work. This includes executives, whose worth is a lot more. Why bring it up? Do you have a problem with people earning more than you do? You seem greedy and jealous to even mention it.
“union workers at Chrysler didn’t decide to use cheap products, they put them together”
They did decide to do a lousy job of putting the products in the cars on the assembly line.
“Sorry, I have to go to work, it’s only an 8 hour day, thanks to a union”
Work is a 0 hour day for hundreds of thousands of laid off auto workers in the US over the years. Thanks to the union.
Top kia executive competition is 5.9 million. Seems fair. As for the definition of jealousy, loser like you trolling Union message boards to cry about the wages and benefits fairly negotiated for by their union. As far as your right to work, I had the pleasure of meeting some of these SCABS during our recent strike. Lots of criminals, no driving licenses, unsafe, unskilled morons.
Point, match. Get a job and a life.
That was me dropping the mic.
Done with you………..
I am not “trolling”. Presenting pro-worker facts against union thugs.
” I had the pleasure of meeting some of these SCABS”
You are truly anti-worker. to call people who work hard and earn their wages SCABS. I’ve got news for you. 95% of Americans reject union membership. Half don’t even want unions to exist. A strong majority of Democrats and Republicans support Right-to-Work.
In the struggle between unions and workers, you on the wrong side and losing side.
And nice to see how ARROGANT you are about spending other people’s money. You are not in charge of hiring and wage decisions at KIA. You want that $5.9 million handed to you, don’t you? And you are so frosted that you would have to actually earn this wage and not have it handed to you.
“Lots of criminals, no driving licenses, unsafe, unskilled morons.”
That’s your opinion of the vast majority of workers who say “union no”.
Anyway, “Scabs” are part of the healing process. If the union makes demands that are unrealistic and might force the company to fire anyone. replacement workers (people who WANt to get off their a** and earn a living instead of loafing about on the picket line) protect American jobs.
Done with you. Lazy union thug.
I hope that Verizon employees stand up and out Verizon and other communication companies for the crashing of so many small businesses like mister locksmith inc out of Baltimore. What Verizon have done to small business they will do to their Employees
I’m all for helping other countries, if and when we are taken care of first here at home. Just like Citizens United gives these corporations unlimited and unristricted power, there should be laws that would make it an act of treason to outsource jobs. Especially when we have made these corporations incredibly wealthy.
No, I wouldn’t say it should be illegal. That is kind of tyrannical and a bit naive. The could adjust the tax code though to make keeping the jobs in the states more competitive.
Taxes are not the issue with offshoring these jobs. Cost plays a large part of it -but also a large part is companies that offshore find people who are happy to have the job, value it, work hard at it and don’t go on strike every few years.
I agree, I only meant making it more profitable to keep the jobs local. We are speaking the same point though. 🙂
Trade is treason now? You’re not even trying to be taken seriously anymore are you? Should everyone in the US working in export industries lose their jobs – or does this only apply to other countries exporting?
Trade is treason now? You are not even trying to be taken seriously anymore are you?
I was one of those workers whos job went to the Philipines after 11 years. I have ZERO sympathy for that company. I watched them rip the old MCI team apart, lay off so many people and hurt so many families for what, greed. When is that profit figure going to be enough for them. They could care less about any one of their employee’s , as long as their pockets are fat at the top. All these so called non union employees they have trained are being FORCED to do this, none of them volunteered. Your choice is simple do it or leave. And guarantee you when this is all said and done some of these people forced to work in this hostile environment during the strike, they will get laid off without a second thought when the time comes. I love that the union is fighting to stop the outsourcing. I hope the strike hits Verizon right where it hurts, their pockets. It seems to the be the only thing they think about, it sure isn’t the people who work to keep the company going.
Of course they volunteered. It isn’t slave labor, they are paid for there work. Just ask Fiber_guy. This strike is doomed for failure. Verizon is looking for its future and trying to lose some dead weight. The union lost those jobs as they made your job unable to compete with outsourcing. Verizon knows that to stay the same means failure as a company. You always have to look to improve. That is what Verizon is doing. It is trying to survive the future.
None of them volunteered, they were told either do it or loose your job, where did you get they volunteered. My hubby and quite a few other partners are all sent out of state for however long it takes, 6 , 12 hour days, no end in site. Yeah, sounds like a blast huh, what is wrong with you. Putting working Americans out of work to make even more of the exorbatenet profit you already do? you call that surviving? We call it pure Greed.
It is still volunteering. They don’t have to continue to work there. They can find another job. Not work. Start their own business. It is not slave labor.
your right on one account only, we can go somewhere else, but do not call it volunteering, that is NOT what it is.
but, just so I am clear, if they come and let you know your job is being given to someone in Philippines./India, for a 1/4 of what we pay you, you would have no problem with it and shake their hands and wish them well? Just curious
No I would hate it. But it doesn’t mean it is wrong, or illegal. It would be the equivalent of finding another company that would pay me more to do the same job, so I would leave my current company. That’s business. If one is unfair and immoral then so is the other.
Yes, PJ. Find something you are good at.
Do you honestly expect the company, in that situation, to agree to pay you a wage which would be 75% an unearned welfare handout?
I am sorry. Your husband is not forced into anything. Working for verizon for a given wage is a choice he makes. Period. The worst he faces is facing the decision to quit if he no longer agrees to provide his service in exchange for an agreed apon wage. Now if Verizon were to say, if you quit we will sue you, then that would be extortion.
You are paid to do your job. That is the deal. If you refuse to live up to your end of the bargain.. if you are too lazy to your job, then they don’t have to pay you. And they can kick you out of the building for trespassing so you can go loaf on the sofa at home.
Nothing is wrong with me. That is the business. If you and your hubby are that unhappy there, he should seek employment elsewhere. I know many people who would gladly perform those duties for that kind of pay.
Do your job or you will be fired….
Come on, is that so unreasonable?
Yes. they are liars when they claimed it is “forced” and “slave labor”.
The only forcing being done is by the union, which forces its members to join and steals their money.
I posted this before but I want to say it again. You and I are on the same page, I have no sympathy at all for these people. Not one of them took up for me when I lost my job and they sure as hell ain’t seeing if I’m okay. There was a woman I knew in my youth that said “Friendship is henshit” which is what they turned out to be … I will post
Call me what you wish but truth is truth and you need to look it in its
ugly face sometimes. Its not about being corporate greed but more about
the union greed.
Its the unions fault that this is taking place, they started sleeping with the company long ago and started stepping on the workers that pay them. I for one do not feel sorry in the least as the union didn’t hear my pleas of being ill, while promising me that they would take care of me. How I wish I could get all the money back I paid into that garbage, more than once I bought back doctors notes explaining my situation and still I got no form of help. Just recently I called to see if they could help me get my job back after winning the EEOC verdict and I was laughed at. If I decide to cross the picket line to work because I have no form of income, you know what, the hell with them.
Here I sit each and every month worrying about paying rent or buying food because I now live on SSDI, I’ve taken many courses to help my situation, went back to school for a Bachelors degree, applied and have been called by employers but nothing is panning out. No, I don’t feel sorry, when I needed the union to get my back, they put a knife deep in it instead. Do you get that?
Human resources is a term that members of a civilized society should never encounter outside of a dystopian science fiction novel.
Verizon has everything!!!! They don’t need anything!!! What more do they need or want!!!??? Nothing!!! If they want cuts, they should start at the top, not the bottom!!! Its BS!!! What they want is to be able to control and treat associates like slaves!!! I don’t think its about the money. They have more money than they know what to do with it!!! And mark my words, the reported profits are going to QUADRUPLE!!! IN A COUPLE OF YEARS!!! Make sure you all save your money. We will be striking. No more working in good faith crap!!! We will not work for peanuts. Associates have built this company, not the overpaid underworked top five !!! Give nothing back!!! And by the way, I was talking to some honest managers, and they said if we would have stayed on strike 2 more weeks the last contract, Verizon and LM was ready to cave in, because they could not take it (the work) anymore!!!
AD;
As a rule of thumb, I consider if a strike last two weeks or less, then the union probably “won”. From two to three weeks, it’s a toss-up. However, if a strike lasts more than three weeks, it usually seems like it was the union that got “boned”….no matter how much spin the union uses in order to temporarily camouflage the situation from its membership.
This strike is approaching what? Two weeks soon now?
Time will tell.
NOt to mention last strike they didn’t have 15,000 nonunion workers trained and ready to take up the slack. It is week two and medical benefits are lost by the end of the week. this strike is doomed to fail.
Good for my daughter and I, they aren’t going to take back the workers and have already cut benefits, who in their right mind would go out on strike in this employment landscape??
I know right? They even offered them a raise and they refused. Thats fine. They are going to refuse themselves out of a job, out of a company.
Propaganda at its best. You might want to add some actual facts like How many people are still purchasing landlines for their homes? You might always want to start differentiating the difference between Verizon Landline and Wireless and not confused the two, and which brings in most of your revenue source. And I have to ask, why demand such from a company you apparent hate so much? What are you trying to accomplish here by smearing the company you’ve apparently worked so hard to build up, the general public has zero sympathy for such
A lot of people get landlines everyday,also businesses hundreds every week..landlines arent going away anytime in the next 5 to 10 years at least,because cable companies voip services isnt compatible, or very intermittent with many devices,or systems and fios is not even close to being built out..So you and your uninformed jealous ass can keep pretending your in-the-know when actually all you know is what some article says on that particular day.
Come on, you would have had a respectful comment till you threw in the jealousy part. Not even sure what that even means but sounds like you need some personal help. Can we get some tangible numbers? Hundreds? Really? How many T1 bonded orders? OC3 circuits? Could go on and on. What’s the percentages of new orders vs maintenance? Please do share with us jealous people. Can we stick to facts? Can you advise if hundreds of people are ordering as you say, why telecom providers are off loading this part of the business? Oh Att and Centurylink too. But I guess they don’t count.
“true”;
I’m not so sure Verizon will continue to be in the landline business, however. You willing to take it over from them, are ya’? [smile]
I love how all the dullard conservatives on here are trashing unions. Unions are what built the middle class. You idiots just want to hop on the express train to the bottom. If it weren’t for republican union busting, there would be FAR less welfare recipients. So you nut jobs just go ahead and keep voting AGAINST your own best interest. Stupid.
john;
Oh, I don’t know. Given the fact that the primary characteristic of union membership over the past few decades has been the VASTLY INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF LOSING ONE’S JOB, it appears to me that unions *ARE* the “express train to the bottom”.
Look at the relevant statistics. If the primary function of unions is to protect their members basic employment interests, then they’ve FAILED MISERABLY! No “ifs”, “ands”, or “buts” about it!
Face it; by virtue of driving literally MILLIONS of jobs overseas, unions have already done a great job of TAKING the “middle class” to “the bottom”. The LAST thing we as a nation need to do is give those jokers even MORE capacity to screw the country up!
Did the Union’s drive jobs overseas or corporate profits Ken?
Matt;
Unions. The jobs were an entity of “corporate profits” from the get-go, and they were simply led there when the unions drove them out.
Now, got any more snot-nosed one line zingers and impertinent questions? If so, why don’t you bundle ’em up in a manner that makes them worth reading.
Where is the trickle down? Verizon is a 220 BILLION dollar company. They’ve been averaging one and a half BILLION dollars a month profit, and pay the CEO over 18 million dollars a year. The top handful of Verizon executives are pulling down a total of about 50 million a year in compensation. So, can someone please explain to all us working stiffs why, in current contract negotiations, Verizon is demanding the workers make pension, 401k, healthcare and other concessions! Where is the justification for any employee concessions in this scenario, other than the company feels that they can get away with it?
For what it’s worth, if the handful of executives you mention worked for free, it would make just an extra $1,200/year/person available to the 39k people they employ. my point is that executive pay is easy to criticize but they are responsible for paying out over $2B in compensation. if you had crappy executives and the company failed, you wouldn’t miss the $1,200 you were being shorted, but you’d really struggle with the $50k(assumed average salary) being gone.
Wrong answer executives aren’t responsible for paying out shit…Every survey taken the customers worse experience is talking to people they cant understand or billing..Now the majority will tell you their technician was absolutely great they hate the company, but love the tech…We run the ship bitch dont any top executive think otherwise, techs make the difference its us out saving face for the company and thats the hard cold facts
“true”
If you “run the ship” then why don’t you run YOUR ship….and stop mooching off a company that belongs to SOMEONE ELSE!?
If you think you can do a better job than the executives, etc. then I don’t know of a single law preventing you and other jokers like you from starting your OWN company and showing those reprobates just how little they’re worth.
How about it? Think there’s much chance of that happening? Or are you just another blowhard who resents his more capable, more economically valued betters?
I’m guessing the latter….”bitch”.
Perfect reply to this insane greed.
Think about the talent you could attract with $200K, $500K or $1M annually, there would be a line around Manhattan for the job! THEY’RE PAID TOO MUCH AND WE ALL KNOW IT!!
Its more like 70-80k based on the average 35-40$ per hour average.
Really?? $70-80k seems like a great wage. Does every job need to be a $100k job?
I don’t know that your wage quote is correct but if it is, that seems fair.
Exactly. Here is a source that quotes even higher. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/verizon-sets-record-straight-on-unions-latest-strike-threat-300249267.html. But i am pretty sure that it is how much it costs verizon to employ. The actual wage comes out to around 35 to 40$ per hour. But i cant refind the source.
after taxes it’s nothing to brag about in this day and age.
I guess, out of curiosity, what is enough to brag about and does everyone deserve a “bragable” wage?
The “fight for $15” is a $30k annual wage. So $80k is $40/hour! And my understanding is that the benefits they receive makes the average employee package $130k.
I’m just at a loss as to what more the union wants and what they’re doing to benefit the company that justifies it.
My opinion is that if your job isn’t paying you what you deserve, find one that does. If you can’t, you probably don’t deserve what you think you do.
Unfortunately, today’s world of participation trophies has taught us we are all winners when we are most certainly all not.
Here’s a few facts. 1-Verizon is financially thriving thanks to the employees, not the stupid rich so called executives (who could have retired 20 years ago). 2- VZ is profiting almost 2 billion dollars a month on the wireline side alone, it does not include wireless which profits more. 3- The top 5 malice millionaire executives that always lie and complain (the more you give them the more they want and take) were paid in the past 5 years a combined total of $250 million in bonuses on top of their multimillion $ salaries. 4- Management in the workplace have evolved abusive and are rewarded for it. 5-The company has turned to outsourcing good american jobs overseas and paying people $1.78 per hour! I can go on and on with facts. This is just a few. The company has more money than they know what to do with it,and that’s a great position.
not that you answered any of my questions – a typical approach to an unjustified argument – but I’ll take a stab at yours anyway.
1) why could they have retired 20 years ago? Because they had money? and why are they stupid? Because they found people who are willing to do the same work for less? Meh, poor argument.
2) theyre profiting in large part because they didn’t profit for years while they invested in the infrastructure needed to build their business. Now they need fewer workers to maintain it…sorry I’m not sorry. These workers had a great job for years. If they wanted to, they could have invested in the company and profited in the ongoing growth, as I’m sure many did. Didn’t realize that Verizon was responsible for giving people jobs AND then taking care of them for the rest of their natural lives.
3) ok, so what do you want? All that money to be spread out amongst the union workers?? I think they’d all get about $2,000 more per year and then you’d pay the executives NOTHING. so are you just bitter at others or saying the union would have made the company more money if you gave those salaries to them? Forget it, I know you don’t answer questions.
4) I don’t know what you’re even saying but my assumption is you’re saying management is abusive in their roles while union employees work diligently and avoid any level of impropriety. This must be another of your “facts.”
5) you realize that the people they are offering $1.78 / hour to would otherwise have nothing. And they don’t live in a country where the government gives you food / home / school / healthcare / phones / childcare… So why don’t you see that Verizon is helping those in need even if they weren’t as lucky as you were to be born in this great nation. If the union folks want to complain about how much the executives make, see how you’d respond to the foreign workers complaining about asking for $2 /hour when unions go on strike because they are capped at $50/hour. Compete hypocrisy!
I look forward to you thiughts.
genius, executives tell us if we don’t make pay concessions and start paying for our own healthcare, the company will be financially hurting and will not be able to compete with the competition. Now with that said to us, we said, if thats the case, why don’t you start at the top of the pay scale? Why start at the bottom of the pay scale? They lie. Does this make sense to you? The CEO makes $50 mil per year, we are happy they get paid what they do, I make less than $80k per year including health based on a 40hr week. The VZ profits are going to at least quadruple in 3 yrs. And when will they start paying their fair share of taxes. They lie to us and america. There’s more.
Listen, I’m not completely anti-union. I started this conversation in search of answers.
I’m sorry you’re union is struggling but my feeling remains that if an employer isn’t giving you what you want, find another employer.
If Verizon realizes the company is suffering from having lower paid workers, they’ll come back to the former employees and THEN you’ll have a legitimate bargaining chip.
And of course, if there isn’t another employer that is willing to offer you the same or more, then you have the best deal available from the free market system we live within – for now at least.
Good luck with everything.
Dude, I can’t decide if you’re lying to me or yourself. CEO made $18m last year according to reports (you claim he made $50). Average employed package is $130k / year according to reports (you claim it’s just $80). So I just slashed your argument of CEO pay by 60% and gave you a 60% raise. You address none of my points and spew lies to make your own…I’m out.
Genius, are you anti-union?
Are you anti-capitalism?
Genius, capitalism is not what it used to be. Are you anti-union and anti-american?
No – capitalism is not what it used to be. It is by and large a great deal better. Worker’s rights, environmental controls, consumer rights are all regulated and we are all better off for it. ANd yes – Unions played a large role in that. But that does not mean that disagreeing with you makes someone either anti Union nor anti-American.
Yes it is a great deal better for the 1%.
Get real. The silly “1%” myth died with that Occupy brownshirt/goon movement.
Why do you call me genius? Have I expressed to you that I believe i have all the answers? No, that’s your role. You spew “facts” riddled with lies and object to the manner in which our society operates – as if we should just listen to the way you want things to be and everything would be better. You have no answers, seemingly have no understanding of economics and speak as if you’re the self-proclaimed genius. … yet you’re incapable of engaging in conversation. I feel badly that you ended up engaging me as the representative for unions and their plight. I showed up here with an open mind and you brought nothing but jargon and platitudes. In the future, I encourage you to Listen, Consider, and Respond rather than just respond with no basis for the conversation you’re involved in.
Here engage in this. I do have all the answers. Even when I’m wrong I’m right.
So people in the Philippines shouldn’t have jobs supporting the US. Does this apply to all trade? Should everyone working in export industries in the US give up their jobs? Are you opposed to all trade or just when it impacts you?
Genius are you anti-union? If the Phillipinos are being forced to work 12-14 hour days, 7 days a week in a sweat shop environment @ $1.78 per hour and no health care. Do you think they are being taken advantage of or abused? They should get paid what we get paid. And yes, we must have trade reform. And yes, America first. How would you like it after 20 years of dedicated service and loyalty your boss came up to you and said we’re laying you off,we’re shipping your job overseas?? Unions are necessary.
You do not know the first thing about what you are saying. Nobody is working 12-14 hour days. The standard working day in the Philippines is 8 hours. Some work 6 day weeks but most work 5. Health insurance is a standard benefit in the BPO industry.
We are hearing stories about mandatory OT – yes in the Philippines under extreme circumstances it is possible to get a clearance from the DOLE to mandate overtime temporarily – but this is anything but standard.
And since the cost of living in the Philippines is massively below that in the US it is absurd to say they should earn the same. People are not being abused when they are paid at or above market rates in the area they live in. You leaving them with no export industry, and those employees you pretend to care about with no jobs (and no healthcare) is a far greater abuse. All trade is about taking advantage of a comparative advantage. Philippines low labor costs and low living costs, give them that comparative advantage. Learn something before ignorantly mouthing off next time.
I never questioned the need for Unions – but Unions as with any organization are not perfect – and a pretense to care about LIC workers while demanding that access to export industries (an essential element of economic development) is the ultimate in either hypocrisy or ignorance – I will let you yell us which.
genius, are you anti-union and anti-american?
Neither – I am anti hypocrisy and anti ignorance – so I am sorry, I guess you got both barrels today.
The bashing of Phillipino workers by American anti-worker (pro union) activists is an echo of the old “Yellow Peril” anti-Asian racist craze.
Any sort of facts about these people in Asia are poison to them.
“We are hearing stories about mandatory OT”
Even that is not outrageous. When you come to a job, you agree to work certain hours and get paid for it.
As for your “facts”, the executives are a huge part of why Verizon thrives. They are workers… the best workers in fact, and are paid for their work.
Yes, they are very good at tax evasion.
Perfect logic.
As a present employee the management at Verizon expect us to work under the conditions of being followed (its sad to think that a Vice President in the company goes around spying on technicians, doesn’t he have better things to do like run a company? They also expect us to work under the conditions of our director being told “there’s no reason why you can’t suspend 5 techs a week. They do tiding exercises in a particular area and show up on techs job site to see if they are goofing off constantly. They made techs from Buffalo NY move to NYC or lose their jobs. This is the right to work mentality that was introduced BT this present CEO. He is a union buster. I’ll probably lose my job for this but I don’t care this company has become a worker hostile company. It would rather get rid of its old timers not to pay their pensions like the court case in Philadelphia PA right now in the courts of a 28 year veteranveteran. They target employees and get rid of them like a used napkin. They even go after foreman who ‘ don’t want to be a part of the team’. The fired a manager I knew because he wouldn’t unjustly discipline a technician. In the 26 years I’ve been in this company, I never seen the behavior of the upper level management like this. It is a tragedy when a tech has to look over his shoulder to see if someone is watching him. We are monitored via GPS in our trucks and vans, company issue cellphones and tablets. We were 60,000 employees not too long ago and now we are 39,000. I personally know of about 15 hard working employees who retired because they could not deal with the abuse going on here at Verizon. I think headquarters should rename its Plantation Verigreedy because I feel like a slave …Verizon is not playing, neither am I.
I reserve my rights UCC 1-207 & UCC 1-308 Without Prejudice. Any type of discipline used against me, by Verizon Communications or any affiliates, because I speak the truth, shall be considered retalliatiion and will be prosecuted in a court room of the UNITED STATES to the fullest extent of the law. So help me God…
My God….to think that you’re supervised ON THE JOB! The HORROR of it all!
My heart goes out to you! [smile]
What career have you chosen Ken?
Why ask when he’s not going to give you an answer? He’s the Founder and CEO of Alignment at Work, he’s also a consultant. (Of course, there’s always the possibility that this is a different Kenneth Meyer. http://pullthinking.com/LeadershipTeam.html)
He created Pull Principle and Pull Thinking, which is focused on helping companies become leaner while improving customer service. They do more, but since this is a comment I don’t want to really pour much more research into this. It is true when he speaks of his experience of creating a company and profitable business model that has allowed him to create wealth for himself and his firm. Though as a founder, CEO, and consultant, I can’t believe he would waste his time trolling others in the comments sections. Seems like an unproductive waste of time for to me, especially for someone who’s already very successful. If I found my boss trolling and arguing with others, I think I’d be incredibly disappointed. (Then again, my boss is the type of person who believes in empowering people to find their true potential, rather than spending time tearing them down.) But hey, it’s his free time and he’s certainly earned it.
No surprise from the comments. Thanks!
I have to say as a Verizon employee that I have not dealt with any of what you speak. Probably because I am non union and support the company I work for because they take good care of me. They send me to College on their dime and encourage me to pursue as much career development as I like. My medical is great and so is my pay. They have made available every opportunity to better myself and rise in the company if I so choose. Being a combat veteran they also acknowledge and thank me for my service every year. They are a great company to work for and are more than fair to hard working employees.
Now to all the bashers that will knocking my post as some sort of line towing ass kisser. I am a field tech who earned my keep by working for a whole lot of shitty companies and earning enough experience to be hired by Verizon. It was one of the best decisions I have made. I am not management just a regular Joe who does his job and goes home. I am also a full time student who is supported by my management to continue pursuing my degree because it is good for the company.
Point being whats good for the company is good for me. That is why us non union folk dont care about the strike. The Union always wants more when the company is more than fair on benefits and pay. If you dont like the job find a different one. I guarantee you there are thousands of people out there that would be thrilled to have the opportunity to fill your seat and take advantage of the profit sharing, great pay, medical, tons of paid vacation, personal days, and bereavement and sick days. There is a reason Verizon always makes the best 100 companies to work for list by Forbes. The majority of employees enjoy working for the company.
One last point Verizon does profit sharing with their employees so keeping a hemorrhaging part of the business like the wireline side of the company hurts the companies profit. This in turn hurts the profit sharing that the company passes down to the employee and the shareholder so how is that beneficial to anyone? Even the customer has better wireless options than copper landlines at this point. Be logical.
What job do you do and what is your pay? What benefits do you get?
Matt,
In what world is that any of your business? All I will tell you is that I make quite a bit more than I did with any of the other companies I worked for previously and yet I did the same job. As for benefits read my above post. There is no argument that can be made and won here.
LOL
There no ‘good union job’.
I lost my job at Verizon Wireless last year with about 8000 other folks. I had been there for 25 years. My job is being outsourced to India. The workers who were trained to do landline jobs were trained last summer so I doubt their skills will be that great. And, alot of the EWA workers have been laid off. I think it’s going to get ugly, fast! KARMA….
Terrible..Karma is right 25 years and thrown out like last nights dinner..its shameful really is..
I like how people are talking about welfare and Obama being bad. What about using extortion tactics to force a company to pay more than a fair market wage for employees? That’s wrong too.
If the union came up with acceptable terms, people will have jobs. At this rate, Verizon is likey going to hold out until they break people.
What is fair market?
definitely not 35-40 dollars and hour.
obama has golfed for eight years, danced with the stars and traveled the world like the royal family. he is not and never will be a friend of the working man. obama is a legend in his own mind and responsible for the sad state of the working class and the poor.
Yes, but he’s not the only one. He’s just following a pattern laid down by Ronald Reagan.
Hey now! Don’t forget Bush!!!!!!
Oh I haven’t forgotten him! No worries there!
Yeah, but Reagan came by the habit honestly; he was a labor union honcho.
Wow! He’s incredibly powerful and his lavish life is unprecedented. He should probably consider a completely different approach to politics, maybe become a Republican because that’s what they are about – helping the middle class and the poor – can’t shut them up about it.
obama supports tpp check with your union on their opinion??
verizon not only rips off their workers but their customers also, after numerous problems i would never do business with verizon again.
And that is how a free market works.
where are your country’s ceo’s and coo’s playing today?
private schools for the children and so far away from the last time they had to worry about a financial obligation. Verizon executives should take one day off and try really working for a living.
Looks like profits have been declining for the past 3 years and falling further again in 2016. Verizon is a public company “owned” by its shareholders who basically just want to see the stock price go up…and the dividend too…which comes from lower cost and higher margins. This is a BUSINESS and if they choose to put their services in areas where customers pay more for their service (premium channels & movie rentals) with the same cost of running wires and home installation, that’s pretty reasonable to me. If you want this BUSINESS to make decisions about how it spends money based on social justice, then you are promoting at least a form of socialism. And companies that are making less money every year for three straight years aren’t exactly in a position to be social justice soldiers.
Are there executives overcompensated? Probably. Especially if profits are falling on their watch. But that’s for the stockholders to decide, not the workers, in this capitalist world we’ve built.
Finally, the writing is on the wall for these workers. 70% to 30% union participation…not a promising future there. We live in a fickle world and unless Bernie gets in and says all Americans are capped / floored in income so the government can dole out resources as they deem fit, the problems for these workers will only get worse.
No one is capping income.
Who writes the tax laws? Verizon or your elected officials? So legally filing taxes and getting money back LEGALLY, just as anyone else does, is an absurd asinine point to bring up. You do not like the tax code, then BLAME THE JACKASSES YOU VOTED INTO OFFICE WHO HELPED WRITE IT AND LOBBY FOR IT TO BE CHANGED OR VOTE IN NEW PEOPLE WHO WILL CHANGE IT. Blaming Verizon for obeying the law is absurd.
You say in your rant above that the landline technology Verizon is not investing in is outdated. Yes, landlines are…even if you waste money updating them more and more people are going to continue fleeing them in favor of wireless service. So WHY would anyone waste money on investing in old technology that is a losing propositiion? You just bring this up to try to create an argument that it is “racist”. NO IT IS NOT! Your own argument is based entirely upon Verizon being “greedy”, so that means their favorite color, like most people and companies AND UNIONS AND THEIR MANAGEMENT is GREEN!!! So enough of the psycho “racist”crap.
Verizon is not trying to “rewrite the rules”. You state the employment contract EXPIRED. That means both sides have to work on negotiating a NEW CONTRACT. In order for that to happen both sides would participate in the “rewriting”. Again, another absurd asinine argument on your part.
I like how you bring up allllll of the billions Verizon makes, but THE ONLY ACCOUNTING of that money you attempt is in regards to management compensation. How many people are we talking about being paid out of that number? WHAT happened to allllll of the billions left over from the profits you lament? Were they reinvested in building infrastructure or back into the business in someway? You know these answers, but chose ON PURPOSE to leave THOSE FACTS out. That is called “propaganda” at best, but is truthfully just outright lying your The ass of
.
Lastly, Verizon is a private sector for profit business. It is NOT a government jobs program. Verizon has business all over the world, so no crap they are going to have money and dealings overseas. They are going to make BUSINESS DECISIONS NOT PERSONAL DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT THE HEALTH OF THE COMPANY NOT THE PROGRESSIVE LIES OF SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE.
But thanks for playing.
So its ok verizon barely maintains their copper yet have customers paying good money for it..why do customers stay on copper? thats simple, its called no competition people are left with little to no choice,especially if the dish isnt an option for many reasons..If your going to enjoy running a multi billion dollar company,and your the only fisherman fishing in an ocean you better either build out fios for all, or get busy on repairing (and im not talking about band aids) actually fixing ,or replacing copper in order to keep customers out of the early 90’s..Please stop hating on the union workers the jealousy is oozing out of you
Not sure I saw union hating in his rant…and certainly didn’t see jealousy.
Is there another phone / cable provider that is doing all the things you want Verizon to do? Or are you just asking for a dying element of their company to waste money on fixing wires that will never turn a profit so the union has more work to do? What do you want??? More money…? Well that’s what they want too! But somehow only one side, in your opinion, is wrong.
I made this point before and I’ll make it again…the executives you complain about make $50mm. Take all of that away and your entire work force gets about a $1,200 raise. Will the unions be eternally grateful at that point? Doubt it…
Do i expect Verizon to fix their copper?? YES I cant be more clearer then that..Im 100 percent sure they are still making big profits off their copper wires and further more they have paying costomers relying on their service to work..If their old out dated copper is still good enough to collect payment on then stop neglecting, stop putting band aides so customers can have service longer then 2 weeks
Why would they fix the copper???they don’t even want anything to do with it they are trying to get rid of it
Hell the workers would never see that money because the union would take it and use it for fur coats and vacations
Verizon is going the way of wireless which is there primary money maker. The wireline side of the business is outdated and needs to be sold off to whoever is willing to buy it. Any customer who is currently on a Verizon landline for internet or data services should just buy a hotspot or tether through their cell phone. It will be a hell of a lot more bandwidth anyhow. Essentially your argument is to keep putting money into a car with 400K miles on it. At some point it just becomes a money dump and there are already better services available through Verizon for these customers.
Verizon does help write the tax laws. They also donate millions to potlical campaigns.
Exactly.
1Merrick1;
Yeah, and luckily unions don’t engage in such nefarious activities, do they? [cackle!]
Then we should outlaw all campaign financing, no?
Yeah….so only those who can personally fund their own campaigns are able to run for office.
Makes complete sense, doesn’t it?! [smile]
Perhaps some transparency instead of PACS and Super PACS.
A goal, I’ll admit….but let’s get RTW passed nationally first so as to end the practice of FORCING contributions in support of political stances taken by unions. That, to my mind, is by far the most despicable aspect of political financing at present.
Who funds those “JACKASSES YOU VOTED IN” campaigns Scott?
How much in compensation does the management of these unions make each year? And WHAT good or product did they create to make that money?
Oh, yeah….you the members and your hardwork is where ALL of their money comes from…right off of your backs with not one penny invested in the business that ACTUALLY PROVIDES THE MONEY THAT PAYS FOR ALL OF THIS. The union just siphons as much as they can out of your pockets and the company, and yet they provide nothing that makes the pie bigger. They just make sure they get their piece while making you think they are doing all kinds of stuff for you.
Without a union we are but whispers.
Whispering dumb fuck is what you are.
No, without a union you’re probably employed. WITH a union, however, over the last forty years you most likely became UN-employed.
In short, maybe you might be “but whispers” without a union…but at least you had a bit of a voice. With a union, the likelihood is that you were turned completely dumb.
Funny how all of us non union Verizon employees have no issues with our pay or benefits and are volunteering to fill the strikers positions.
Who is volunteering? No one I know is, we are all forced to do this, not one person I know is happy with any of this, they dont want to do this coverage. You must work with an interesting group of folks. I am talking about us folks been there for many years, WE ARE NOT VOLUNTEERING.
You’re correct I do work with some interesting folks. Our management asked for volunteers and on a team of about twenty, five of us have stepped up. I wpuld think more would be happy to as well but with such short notice and a family to take care of they are unable. Most managers have been forced to do the jobs but for us volunteers we are just waiting on a phone call to go. Seems like good experience and a change of scenery for a little while. Sorry that you aren’t enjoying yourself but I’d be happy to take your place and so would plenty of my coworkers.
well isnt that nice that you get to wait, while others never got the chance, it did not matter if they had families or it was a hardship, even single mothers, all were told your going. No one even asked for volunteers, how lucky for you. Although to be honest, no one I know would have volunteered, most figure after all is said and done, even with them having to do this, Verizon will lay them off in a heartbeat like they have so many thousands of workers to give their jobs to overseas. You know , it is what it is, but what makes me sad, Americans made Verizon an incredible company, they all, AND I DO MEAN ALL, helped the company grow and become so dang prosperous. If the company was in trouble, I get it, have to do what you need to, not the case, they wont be in trouble for a very long time based on their numbers. If the jobs they were eliminating were not needed, fine, I get that too, but not the case cause they are actually hiring people in India and Philippines to continue to do the jobs.
But to put honest, hard working Americans, and I am talking about non union workers here, not union folks, , hard working Americans out of work, when your making BILLIONS in profit?: Yeah,. as an American, I have a huge problem with that. I am all for companies making profits, that’s what is supposed to happen, but to do it this way? Wow, and live with yourself. To watch colleague after colleague walking out the door, some been there 20+ years, just thrown out so they can give it to a girl or guy in another country????? I am really sorry you do not find that sad. Like you said, tons would love to do our job, the problem is, they won’t get the chance, cause that job will be outsourced. About every six months the non union side of the house has to hold their breath with the layoffs that happen, its nuts, how do you expect Moral to be good and people to want to help a company, that they know tomorrow, they will probably outsource your job anyway. I watched whole groups get taken out only to hear senior execs brag about the 90 K per month they saved outsourcing that group? How do you think that makes the other folks feel? Not very secure, sorry.
My guess to why we were not forced to help like you guys were is probably that we are located on the opposite side of the country. You make a decent argument for the most part but the reason I disagree is that the job we do cannot be outsourced so we do not see that type of activity. I did just read the “last best offer” in its entirety that corporate sent to the Union and it gives the union folks better benefits than we currently receive. In light of that I am still compensated more than fairly compared to other companies (small and large) that I have worked for throughout the country. Im not sure if you have been briefed about the future of the company but we were recently. The company is expecting to lose a lot of millennial customers due to the way that our contracts are setup. Data has shown millennials switching over to companies like T-mobile because they do not lock them into 2 year contracts. We also have to do massive infrastructure improvements on the network in order for 5G to work. This will put the company in the red for the next 2 years. While the company may report profit they still put tons of that money back onto the network. We were told to cut corners anywhere we can over the next 2 years. Hell they even pulled our water cooler service (no big deal but just an example). Layoffs are to be expected because they what used to be 3 branches of the company into one to better streamline and yes make a profit. Which isn’t that the point of a business? I have little doubt that more layoffs will come down the road when they have everything figured out because why would you pay 3 people to do a job that only takes one? As for outsourcing…..you make a statement that I do not find that to be sad….well that’s bullshit. I think outsourcing is un-american and ridiculous. No one wants to talk to someone from India or the Philippines that barely speaks English. It pisses me off that it happens and when corporate calls it contracting instead of outsourcing it angers me further. It is at that point that I lose respect for the company but the way I understand this strike is that corporate is only trying to rotate calls between US call centers if one is completely overloaded. I haven’t seen anything about them forwarding calls overseas.
Interesting information. I think the reason you do not have to deal with all the layoffs is your boots on the ground direct installs/repairs. Your right, your job cannot be outsourced but those of us on the East Coast, Verizon Business, we all pretty much have had to deal with a lot of entire groups being moved to Philippines and India. The call center and Managed services are two here that all went overseas. Its not overflow, it is the entire centers gone, Most of the data test centers are gone. Only saving grace is the government accounts, those they can’t outsource or they would do that too. It’s just frustrating to watch. None of this is overflow, not on the Verizon Business side, It is straight up, Call center is now in Philippines/India. Not long before this strike another group was told they were all going to be gone, gave them a date and thier jobs are now being handled out of the Philippines. The real b*&tch of that one, they sent 3 people over to the Philippines to train them to do their job, now I ask you , how crappy is that? I know its not right but I just have lost so much respect for this company anymore. I love America, and when you do this, when you take jobs away from Americans and outsource, you are hurting America, not just Americans. Where is that money going to be spent, not here, not anymore. Its sad to watch. But like I said, it is what it is. I vote, I fight the good fight when I can and then I move along when I know nothing else I can do. But I like to see others taking on a fight too, at least it makes me feel not alone.
And btw, I do agree with you on their benefits and pay, they have a much better package then we have ever had. And yes, we make good money, that is not a complaint, but worrying about your job being taken away, that is a real issue. Job security , Well really , who doesn’t want that .
So am I to infer that employees in the Philippines and India are neither honest nor hard-working?
Union management makes far less than corporate upper management and they probably do about the same amount of work as upper management of vz
You are about to see 20,000 management employees do the work of 40,000 union workers. Faster and better…with higher customer satisfaction. These union workers want to work according to agreements made during the rotary dial phone era. The company needs to be faster and more flexible to compete, and 2.5 jobs a day wont cut it.
You haven’t even talked to one of these workers, and you presume to know their contract, or their work ethic. I guess you’re just “fair and balanced’ …
I know a lot of them actually. More importantly I kow the type.
Ur a close minded fool. They are highly skilled workers. Who climb telephone poles in sub zero temps. To provide you service, so you can apparently barate them. You couldnt do there job for ten minutes.
They dont provide me service…A…..and I am in the company and very well informed. I would say that you are the fool.
So you are in the company and don’t have their services way to go hero u r the man
I have FiOs…FiOS is fiber, buried in the ground. They are not climbing poles for me…that is what I said. I am done with arguing this with you. Have a fantastic life.
What you said is they don’t provide you with a service which implies you do not have their service. If you are still confused, take a look above at your statement.
Chunky girl, let me explain it slower so you will be able to follow….I have Fi……..OS. Fiber to the premises (that means my home). It is run under the dirt…..not….on a pole.
See, I said he was cool.
You sound like an employee, “I am in the company.” If you’re a manager, you make a high wage because of union members bargaining sacrifice.
I make a high wage, because I was better and smarter, and worked harder than my peers. That is how it works in a free market system. I would not expect a commie union goon like you to understand. The 50s are gone dude. Get over it.
Usual union drool.
Monkeys climb trees…so what?
Wow, you are super cool.
I try.
what state are you from?
Generally a state of superiority…intellectually, emotionally, physically, etc.
Another Trump fan voting to bring the country to the lowest denominator ! He has been brain washed with Koch money ! It’s pathetic !!!!!!!!
Unions raised everyones standard of living. They created the middle class ! This guy is a deluded fraud ! A suckhole for corporate welfare !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes, back in 1929. More lately, they just drove manufacturing out of the country….so they have that going for the union mystique.
I’m about to see 20,000 managers do the work of 20 union workers
Competing with $2 a day labor overseas, even $15 an hour would drive manufacturing out of this country. IT’S NOT THE UNIONS!
McMullans;
It *IS* “the unions” if the unions aren’t willing to come up with a COMPETITIVE alternative! That doesn’t mean that they have to go down to “$2/day” or whatever…but it DOES mean that they have come up with a workforce that is competitively efficient and cost-effective on a WORLD scale by whatever means available to them! If they don’t, then they ARE driving those jobs overseas…..because, over the long term, employers are ALWAYS going to seek-out the most cost-effective labor option available. Unions aren’t going to change that fact; the best they can do is LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH IT!
So far, it seem that the only way they’ve dealt with the fact is by sticking their heads in the ground and pretending it doesn’t exist….which, no doubt, if why they’ve already lost the vast majority of their members and their jobs.
So hey, get a job for minimum wage with no benefits and show those unions how it should be done!! Now THAT is competition!
Discordia;
Compared to NO JOB – which has been the primary characteristic of union membership over the past few decades, even a “minimum wage” one starts to look pretty good!
Then again, maybe you’re one of those who thinks that “nothing” is better than “something”. If so, don’t be surprised if that’s what you end up with; i.e. – “nothing”. Meanwhile, those who WERE willing to be competitive take the last seats available at the economic table.
Unfortunately, as much as union supporters hate the fact, over the long term, competition will ALWAYS prevail. Union’s denial of that reality over the past forty years or so in this country is why they’ve pissed away literally MILLIONS of their members jobs.
It hasn’t been a pretty picture.
People regularly DIED ON THE JOB before unions but the middle class seems to be easily fooled.
Here here.
Spencer;
Given the fact that the primary characteristic of union membership over the past forty years or so has been the VASTLY INCREASED LIKELIHOOD OF LOSING ONE’S JOB, I fail to see how unions “raised everyones standard of living”….or are you one of those who maintains that NO job provides a better “standard of living” than ACTUALLY HAVING ONE???? I.e. – the “Nothing today, but twice as much tomorrow” economic philosophy..
The truth is that unions have chased literally MILLIONS of jobs away from our shores. They not only didn’t “create the middle class”, over the past few decades they’ve seemed Hell-bent on DESTROYING IT.
Look at the statistics and tell me I’m wrong. If the primary goal of unions is to protect the employment interests of their members and workers generally, then THEY’VE FAILED MISERABLY!
Nailed it.
Keep voting dem/commie/socialist comrade….
We should be an elitist, laissez faire, libertarian. autocracy and get rid of the working class altogether, ungrateful lot! They should be bending to kiss the feet of the CEOs of the corporations – lucky to have tasted the dirt in their tracks.
do you know what the electoral college is?
Let me know in a couple weeks if you still believe that Or you are just being a fool
Already cleared the backlog of tickets….AND the replacement call center reps are actually trouble shooting, reducing the ridiculous number of dispatches. We are making a ton of dough to boot. I hope they stay out a year. Rofl.
Typical armchair qb. ……those who can’t critique
Okay, then let’s see them do it! Makes sense!!!!!
Management will wreck the plant with their incongruous skills.
1 week…then no benefits. 1 week then the lazy beg for federal arbitration.
Maybe you could shoot the fiber with your gun. You’d have about as much chance as fixing it as these working managers. .62 jobs per day. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
Maybe instead of trolling comments sections, you should get you doctors appointments in before the benefits run out this week…..?….
HAHAHAHAHAH. Mangers are quitting after a week and a half of doing our jobs. Per 2 articles in the WSJ on the 19th and the 22nd, 10,000 managers have cleared 50,000 jobs in 8 days. That’s 6/10 of a job per day. Fios Installs in Jersey are already pushed back to may 12th. One clown in Manhattan was fried Friday for accidentally setting his own manhole tent on fire. If you have a problem with 2.5 jobs a day enjoy the .62 jobs per day your managers are doing. And that’s assuming they are doing those .62 jobs per day correctly.
Poor deluded Annie….managers are loving it. Time and a half- nice vacation money for later in the year- are efficiently and effectively caring for our customers that you abandoned. Let me give you a truthful number: nearly 1000 associates crossed the line! Just wait until benefits run out. It will look like the Texas border so many will cross! ROFL
you are very uninformed ,most managers, do not want to do the job, do not know the job and do not do it as well as the union employees.that’s why VZ has a skilled workforce due to benefits and pay. You know nothing of what’s going on based on your replies. You seem bitter and attacking the employees who have built a company, customers do not want to talk to unskilled workers in the Philippines who don’t know the systems, lie about pricing and the customers cannot understand what they are saying.
Call VZ right now ,see what type of “customer service “is going on.the mangers do not work the job as Vz wants they are not selling and servicing the customers as they should be .I personally know many managers supervisors who were sent states away, and actually having to deal with work, they want it over .
no joy, he is actually very informed. TOO informed.. because he is a professional at public relations and is hired by VZ. The information he just wrote is what the company is putting out… its all propaganda.
Lol, you are deluded.
Clearly you know nothing about corporate America. Mgmt is on straight salary. Wait till your service goes down. You’ll be singing a different tune
No you dope. The company is paying the replacements OT. You know less than nothing.
Obviously you can’t read either. You were talking mgmt not the scabs. I said mgmt is on salary. Don’t be such a hater. Oh wait, that’s right. That’s what happens when you try to have a conversation with a 2 yr old. Grow up
if the union was gone and replaced by 5 dollar an hour workers do u think Verizon would pass that savings on to u????? if u do ur the DOPE I think u r
they are not handling the work well at all, seems to be the overseas reps who have no idea what they are doing.
you seem to have no idea about doing a job by guidelines and to a customers satisfaction, the way Verizon wants it done.
I like how you think Dallas and Tulsa are “overseas”. The people replacing you are in Texas and Oklahoma, not “overseas”.
2.5 jobs per day? What PR company do YOU work for and is that the standard reply for all news outlets? Agreements made during the rotary phone era? Agreements that were signed and approved by the company itself. FYI, the company already sent out termination letters to their managers last week.
Really???? Cause lately all I see is the mgmt and non union workers sitting in their trucks trying to figure out whether they’re coming or going. And yes I know what I’m talking about because I’ve been trying to get my service fixed since they’ve been on strike. And told no one can get out to me for another 3 weeks
Where do you habitate?
Maybe you should get your spelling straight before you troll “its habitat”
Habitat is a noun. Habitate is a verb….as in where do you live? Kat is a victim of the public schools folks….sad.
At least I finished school. Lol. Peace out
Meets your facts straight before you post your nonsense
Get your english straight before you troll…..”meets”??? Beat it.
That’s the best you got. Lol
Faster and flexible to compete? Compete with who? The company is taking in $2B/month in profits without any union concessions. The company needs to have a bigger profit margin? Can McAdam, hire an MBA for $500K and save an instant $17.5M.
This is what happened to many raw materials that have become an artificial shortage. Hi!!ary thinks everything Goldman Sachs has done is ok or she would not have given them any speeches.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1an7j6cmjUw
hillary who?
Get rid of Obama, Unions & Verizon!!! Because none of them gives a hoot about any of you. 🙂
Your elitist views are so progressive and really strengthen the people of a nation.
which PR company do you work for?
You make it sound like a corporation has no responsibility to its shareholders to turn a profit and that the union members are owed all this money. I’m willing to bet that most union employees of VZ are making more than the median salary in the areas they serve while having great benefits (health and retirement [pension]). Ultimately, the same people who the VZ workers serve are the ones demanding that their bills stay the same, thereby eliminating jobs of the unionized worker. VZ telecom is not as big as it once was (especially after selling their regions outside of the NE US to Frontier Telecom). There should be no expectation that the company can sustain the level of employment at the rates it pays with a reduced coverage area.
make no mistake, VZ holds major shares in companies they have “sold off” they (VZ) are the problem, not their workers wanting good pay for doing dangerous-backbreaking jobs!!
heather;
Could you detail and document the nature and extent of the “major shares in companies they have ‘sold off'”? You’ve got me curious.
Gotta love the silence.
Sounds like you are calling out for Socialism Dennis.
Absolutely the opposite
Saying that these employees “most union employees of VZ are making more than the median salary in the areas they serve while having great benefits” should have less to be more like the other people in the are sounds like it Dennis.
Matt;
You REALLY have a great understanding of economic terms, don’t ya’? [smile]
Just think that a working man(or woman!) that is raising a family should be able to afford a roof over their head if they work 40 hours a week. Especially in the case of a Verizon employee when the company is posting great profits, offering dividends to shareholders, and giving management bonuses. Is that absurd to ask for?
Matt;
Perhaps you’re right. But who’s going to PAY for that ability to “afford” if the labor provided isn’t worth that amount? You?
You see the problem there, don’t you? I.e. – that if there’s going to be a subsidy – which any compensation over-and-above market-value for labor is – , then SOMEONE is going to have to pay for it. And from I’ve seen on discussion boards like this, the general consensus seems to be that it should be “the other guy”.
Beyond that, if there’s a form of subsidy being paid for specific workers, then other potential workers – who would be more than willing to take the job at an unsubsidized wage – are going to be resentful….and are going to ask why the “privileged” group warrants that privilege over them. For example, who says the Filipino workers are any less worthy of employment at a wage THEY are comfortable with than the Americans?
With a $2B profit/month, you think Verizon needs to raise prices if the workers get what they want? And what increases are the union asking for? It sounds like they’re looking to maintain as is and Verizon wants cuts. When Verizon gets rid of loyal employees do you think they’re going to cut prices? And, are you American? The Filipinos can go work for their own telecommunications company. Unemployed and underemployed Americans are destroying the American economy, which is only working for those at the top currently. America is heading towards a two class society, the haves and the have nots and the Middle Class isn’t going to be in the haves.
21;
You seem to be claiming that employers SHOULD be paying more for labor than it’s worth. Sorry, but any way you look at it, over the long term, that’s a recipe for disaster….both for the company that engages in it, and the employees who eventually lose their jobs because of it.
As for your “the Filipinos can go work for their own telecommunications company”, what makes you think it’s any less THEIR company that it is the Americans? Is there a limiting national or racial clause in the company’s charter? Does the firm have solely an American existence?
As for the unemployed and underemployed destroying the American economy….well, in case you hadn’t noticed, the strikers have currently and deliberately UN-employed themselves. Is it the rest of the country’s fault that they CHOSE to be non-competitive on a world scale? Should they be paid more than they’re worth simply because they’re Americans?
Somehow I doubt the rest of the (very competitive) world sees things quite that way.
That, of course, isn’t to deny the strikers the choice they can make. I do, however, think they need to realize that it WAS a choice they made…and they’ll have to live with the consequences of it. Unfortunately, those consequences, while perhaps too subtle to recognize at first, may be extremely long-lasting.
Lastly, “loyal employees”? In case you hadn’t noticed, again THEY ARE ON STRIKE! That makes them the antithesis of “loyal”….and to so they are “loyal” at this point in time would be like claiming a prostitute is virginal.
Evidently you don’t believe in shared prosperity. The company is doing extremely well. Companies have no problem telling workers they have to make sacrifices when times are tough, but when times are good, it’s all about competition. The company is doing well because of its employees.
Yeah, the Filipino comment was out of line. The isolationist idea is right out of the idiotic Trump playbook. I’ll put it this way – I don’t care about employment in other countries. I want to see Americans with jobs.
I don’t view striking as being unemployed. They have jobs. It is a work stoppage. They never chose to be uncompetitive on a world level. They could be more competitive if we had national healthcare like most other advanced countries but the insurance industry owns too many Congressmen for that to happen. As for being paid more than they are worth because they are American, why not? It’s been that way with CEO’s for decades.
As for loyalty, I have strikers I walk by every day. My guess would be most of them have worked for Verizon since graduating high school. A company that is making billions of dollars every month is looking for take backs from their Middle Class employees so they can make more money for the few who sit on their butts all day. This business model is sucking cash out of the wallets of the Middle Class and putting it into the hands of the top 10%, who own 90% of the stock market. It is killing the economy and this country and driving up the national debt since the rich are really good at hiding their money from the tax man.
Your thoughts are in line with the way business is done today. It is pretty much approaching the way it was done 100 years ago. It will make America a two class society.
21;
You can pretty much condense your post into two words, can’t you? I.e. – “Gimme, gimme”.
I just love it when jokers like you say things like “the could be more competitive IF (there’s always an “if”)….followed by things “they” should be GIVEN first. And apparently you have no concept of what the word “loyalty” actually means.
As for what you “view”…tell ya’ what. Why not take your “view” and reflect it on the way YOUR company is operated. You know; one that YOU create, that YOU finance, that YOU hire and pay PERSONALLY employees at. Then your “view” might mean something. Along the way, YOU show how America can be “classless society”. But, until you do, as I mentioned before, I can’t help but “view” your bleatings as just so much more “gimme, gimme”.
BTW, if YOU think “prosperity” should be “shared”, how’s about sharing YOUR prosperity with me? Say about half of everything you own. After all, what’s fair is fair, isn’t it? And isn’t what’s good for the goose good for the gander as well? Heck, don’t we ALLl believe in that “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” crappola?
“Four legs g.o.o.d, two legs b.a.a.a.a.a.d”
What does your little rant about YOUR company have to do with Verizon? None of the overpaid suits started the company. The company is rolling in cash. The union is looking to maintain the status quo. Management wants to fire Americans so they can pay shareholders more. I guess you like that. It’s a business model that is destroying the country.
The only gimme I have is give the workers what they deserve. If a company is doing well, the workers deserve to share in the prosperity at least as much as shareholders.
Fill me in on loyalty Kenny. Workers that have spent their entire working life at a company are going to be outsourced. Explain how that fits your definition of loyalty.
Do you have difficulties with reading comprehension? I never mentioned a classless society. I’m not a fan of two classes. The country needs a strong Middle Class. It is disappearing at a time when the American worker is more productive than he/she has ever been. How’s that possible Kenny? Could they be getting screwed over by the people at the top? No, couldn’t happen. The suits earn their money.
My guess is there’s no need to help you Kenny, it sounds like you’re a business owner with a persecution complex. You could be doing so much better if it wasn’t for your damn greedy employees.
I do help people when I can. It’s a Christian thing.
Again, “21”, why don’t *YOU* give ’em what they “deserve”? Why is it someone ELSE’S obligation to satisfy some ersatz “deservedness” you’ve fabricated that has NO existence in reality? Why not take responsibility on YOURSELF!?
Hasn’t the world had ENOUGH of that “from each according to his abilities, to each according to his needs bullsh_t”? Hasn’t that type of “gimme, gimme” ALREADY ruined far too many national economies? Aren’t you SEEING what’s happening in places like Venezuela today?
If, indeed, you’re for this Socialist “share in the prosperity” bit, again, why don’t *YOU* share *YOUR* “prosperity”…and get off the case off those who are ALREADY making an immeasurably greater contribution to society that you are?
“Gimme, gimme” artists; seems to me that our society has had our fill of such vermin. Do your begging elsewhere, why don’t ya’?
There is no handout. There is no begging. Pay them a fair wage. They’ve earned their checks much more than McAdam has earned $18M. You don’t know me, you don’t know what I do for society. I’m confident I’ve done more than you. If you think running a corporation to generate the greatest profit for shareholders is an immeasurable contribution to society, you are part of this country’s problem.
“21”
A “fair wage” is a MARKET-DERIVED wage; nothing more, nothing less. Anything COERCED or demanded beyond that *IS* a form of “handout”….or, more accurately imposed “welfare”. You could also call it “extortion”, to be completely accurate.
Now I realize jokers like you don’t see a problem with that. You’re not actually interested in a “fair wage” at all; rather, you’re interested in receiving a HIGHER wage than is market justified; i.e. – you DO want a “handout”.
As for “knowing” you…sorry, “21”, I’ve read your posts, and your position on “sharing prosperity”…and that has allowed me to gain quite a bit of knowledge of just what kind of person you are. And what you are is a parasite on society…whether you want to admit or not.
You are what you are. Deal with it.
P.S. – As for your “confidence”, Sport…..would you like to tell me just how many jobs YOU personally have accounted for in terms of creation, financing, paying wages, and so forth?
I ask because I think “sunning a corporation to generate the greatest profit for shareholders” – and at the same time providing jobs and a means of making a living for a significant number of workers – w *IS* making an immeasurable greater contribution to society that the likes of you who, I suspect, does virtually NOTHING in that regard.
Could I be wrong? N.a.a.h….if I WAS, then YOU would be doing some of that “prosperity sharing” you mentioned, instead of constantly demanding that OTHERS do in your stead.
Keep bleating “Four legs good, two legs b.a.a.a.d”, “21”. The ditty suits you.
You obviously have the view that a company should pay as little as possible to workers and provide as few benefits. The decline of unions has adversely affected that market driven “fair wage”.
You are probably fine with companies that are basically subsidized by the government and tax money – Walmart, Mc D’s and others that pay full time workers so little they still qualify for government aid while the companies generate billions in profits. That’s a handout to multi-billion dollar corporations.
“at the same time providing jobs and a means of making a living for a significant number of workers” – I have nothing but admiration for people/companies that do that. How does that fit into a discussion of a company trying to eliminate American jobs? We may also differ on the benefit of having working poor. You have a different view from up in your tower.
21;
Yeah, I *DO*! Are you saying that they should automatically pay MORE than what’s possible? That they should pay MORE for labor than what it’s worth????
If so, I suggest try starting a business and see how far you get with that particular economic philosophy.
BTW, ask yourself, just WHY is a company trying to “eliminate American jobs”…even ignoring the fact that they AREN’T “American jobs” to begin with, but rather jobs CREATED AND MAINTAINED BY THE COMPANY and that the jobs THEMSELVES will stil exist!??? Think they’re taking the action to piss off people, do ya’? Or simply as a matter of economic opportunity in pursuit of their essential reason for BEING in business; i.e. – TO MAKE MONEY!
As for your “government aid” crappola, again, no one is FORCING people to work for those companies! If they can find better alternatives, they’re more than welcome to pursue them! And I submit that those who DIDN’T have jobs working for the named companies would be a Hell of a lot more of a burden on the government coffers than they are WITH them. Again SOMETHING IS BETTER THAN NOTHING!
What’s possible and what it’s “worth” are two different numbers. Verizon is completely capable of paying their employees. They’ve been doing it for the last 5 years. What you call their “worth” is continually going down while the work they perform remains the same. There is no bottom to this without organized labor. Your business model will result in America being a third world country with a small ultra-rich segment that think they actually earned it.
Companies aren’t trying to piss people off. They don’t see people. There are customers and there are the business expenses called employees. Verizon is making plenty of money. They aren’t a company in financial difficulty. But they can make more if they reduce that pesky employee expense. What’s destroying an American family if a VP can buy a new Beemer with a bigger bonus?
The economy is forcing them to work for those companies. When Verizon cans their workers, where do you think they’ll go?
America would be better with Walmart going belly up. You know economics, so you know another company will pop up to fill the demand or an existing company that treats employees like an asset instead of an expense will hire them due to their increased sales from Walmart tanking.
Something is better than nothing. Aim high Ken. Workers at companies paying dividends should be ineligible to receive government assistance.
21;
Oh, there’s a “bottom” alright…and unions have put their members on it time after time. It’s called “being without a job”….and if you look at the statistics over the past forty years or so, I think you’ll see that it’s something unions have become very adept at doing.
Look – AND AGAIN! – if you think America would be better off doing things your way, then DO THINGS YOUR WAY! No one’s stopping you from opening a competing firm against Wal-Mart. No one’s putting the brakes on you opening your own competitor to Verizon, and showing ’em “what for”. But until you CAN offer job opportunities at the level of those two firms – and THOUSANDS of others – I really don’t think you’re in a position to criticize those who DO offer employment at ANY level until YOU can do something better yourself.
BTW, in terms of your last comment of….
“Workers at companies paying dividends should be ineligible to receive government assistance.”
….I don’t disagree with you. (and I’ll go so far as to say that there shouldn’t be any contrived “minimum wage” as well). Although for the life of me I can’t figure out how that would either hurt Wal-Mart, or help those they employ (although I suspect that it MIGHT help Wal-Mart a bit simply because, as a current “employer of last resort”, it would have quite a bit more leverage in terms of who it employed. After all, what are those without ANY safety net going to do?
Ken if our labor is not worthy of Verizon why are they projecting a Billion dollars in losses per month during the strike and possibly increasing every month. I believe that proof of worth.
v340355;
I must have missed that. Could you document and provide a link showing that Verizon is “projecting a Billion dollars in losses per month during the strike”? All I’ve seen is Verizon admitting that the strike MIGHT affect earnings…which is a different matter entirely.
Beyond that, it’s not really a matter of your labor being “worthy”, is it…but rather of the inconvenience you’re causing? Anybody, “worthy” or not, can piss in the punch bowl and cause a lot of hassle, just like arsonists can set fires quicker than buildings can be rebuilt…bt that doesn’t make their “labor” worthy. In the same vein, hindering customer access, cutting lines, etc. all add to Verizon’s COSTS but, if anything, such costly action demonstrates the UN-worthiness of the “labor” involved”.
Sounds like Dennis is a Verizon CEO. Do you know what a Verizon tech goes thru to do a new Fios install? Or even a trouble call, i.e. phone stopped working, Internet issues etc..? If you have no knowledge of this, then maybe you shouldn’t speak on things you don’t know.
Have a conversation with a Verizon tech. , then comment. You may change you’re attitude.
Im a certified fiber optic verizon tech and I have to agree with Dennis. The union pulls this shit every year with strike threats. This whole article is misleading and cherry picking facts. The reason the number of union employees has dropped dramatically is because people have left the union in droves. Even the union head left because he was smart enough to see the writing on the wall. Unions are outdated and unnecessary. Waste of time and the only thing that these workers are proving is that their workload can be handled by 15000 employees instead of 40000. They are putting themselves out of a job due to greed.
What planet do you live on? Unions are unneeded? The Middle Class is disappearing because workers can’t protect themselves. But you’re okay with workers being laid off so Verizon can pay more dividends to rich people sitting on their asses. Verizon is making almost $2B/month but the workers are greedy. But Verizon will win because they have scabs like you driving worker compensation down so executive compensation can go up. Your day will come, because after Verizon screws the union, you’re next.
Pretty obvious you don’t work for the company.
Well the union isn’t there to protect us any longer either. Ever since the fall of John Gotti, these unions have been losing power more and more every day. Instead of trying to hold on to members, they themselves pushed the early retirement packages being offered by the company while sitting on their fat assess in an office and fkn around all day. When you called they were never available to speak with and when they did come to speak with you about an issue, they sided with the company. I said it before and I will say it again, they started to sleep with the company and we are seeing the outcome of this whole mess, question, why are they the only ones getting paid during a strike?
Hey Candace – sorry to hear that. Are you at Verizon or with another union? Unions aren’t perfect. It bothers me when I see unions negotiating two sets of deals, one for older members and another for new members. Selling out. When you say they’re getting paid, are they getting paid by the union or company? It would be better for solidarity if they refused the pay or donated it into a fund for the strikers. It’ll be worse when the union is gone. I was talking with a striker this morning. He said Verizon doesn’t hire union workers anymore. With a few exceptions, the youngest union members have worked there 18 years. So there will be Verizon strikes every 5 years until the union is gone, then the jobs will be shipped out or contracted out.
every year? or every year they are working without a contract? I work for a union company and let me tell you Verizon workers get a lot less than the real locals in NYC.
Yea agree man
their must be a few undercover paid shills commenting on this thread
Because some of the things they are saying don’t sound like something middle class hardworking earners would say..who really supports big corps. Who’s executives make more than all employees combined??
Somethings not right here
if dennis’ job sucks,or he doesnt like it, thats on him.
Im with you Dennis as I am a VZW employee I see all this bullshit from the inside and you are correct the union workers are just being greedy. Thats why non union employees are more than happy to handle their workload.
Sounds like you’re jaded now that you have to actually leave your nice cushiony office and go into the field to work. Maybe you’ll get a taste of what these Union guys have to endure on a day to day basis. Wait till the company tries to cut your benefits. You’ll be singing a different tune
And when the union is gone, any benefits you currently are getting will be too. Enjoy per diem.
what do you do mr Fiberguy?
No, corporations have no legal responsibility to their shareholders. That is a myth constantly repeated by cowardly greedy corporate officers, who also own a lot of stock and stand to make a ton of money off profits, to pass the buck on destroying the lives of tens of thousands of workers, who are really the people doing the work to make that money.
anchorite;
Gosh what a LIAR you are! Our nation’s history is replete with instances where corporations were HELD TO ACCOUNT for their “legal responsibility to their shareholders”. Look at ongoing developments at FLY Leasing, for a current example.
I’ll tell you this; if you were on the board of directors of a corporation, and you espoused in practice what you just put in words, you’d quickly find yourself under a dark legal cloud…if not in prison. Don’t remember the movie “Wall Street”, do ya’?
Wow, your rant shows an astounding level of ignorance and a complete lack of sources to back up your opinion. And you seem to have gotten completely the opposite point of Wall Street than it was putting forth. You seem to be unclear on even the most basic distinction between civil and criminal law. If you had been to business school you’d understand the difference, but since you obviously haven’t it would be difficult to start at such a low level to bring you up to speed. Some people construct a reality they like, have fun with it.
anchorite;
Yeah, it’s showing “an astounding level of ignorance” to maintain that corporations DO have a legal responsibility to their shareholders, isn’t it? [grin!]
As for a source, oh “bright” and “honest” one, why don’t you take a look at…
http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2015/04/16/what-are-corporations-obligations-to-shareholders/a-duty-to-shareholder-value
..or…
http://www.litigationandtrial.com/2010/09/articles/series/special-comment/ebay-v-newmark-al-franken-was-right-corporations-are-legally-required-to-maximize-profits/
….or….
http://www.professorbainbridge.com/professorbainbridgecom/2012/05/case-law-on-the-fiduciary-duty-of-directors-to-maximize-the-wealth-of-corporate-shareholders.html
….or any of the other NUMEROUS “sources” a simple Google search using the terms “corporations obligation to shareholders” turns up.
Following that, why don’t you take a look in a mirror, and recognize what a dishonest piece of filth is staring back at you. “No legal responsibility” indeed!
what exactly is your point?
Are Verizon executives making more than the median salary in the areas they service. Outsource the empty suits and save a lot more per employee. Can McAdam and save $18M right off the bat.
Yeah, Verizon is so hard up – I feel like crying my heart out. Let’s help them keep those jobs overseas and make more money bc yes, as a corporation that is what they are all about. And shareholders, why I don’t know if I’ll sleep at night if they aren’t making money. Greedy employees.
I know right!! Only $39 BILLION in revenue last year?? Poor soles! I bet the CEO himself is gonna have to apply for food stamps pretty soon. Maybe a second job at WalMart.
Funk you chunky girl… You have no idea what you’re talking about! You’re daddy will pay for you don’t worry
Dallas isn’t overseas…. all of your jobs are being moved to Texas or Oklahoma.
If you remember, Verizon was formed from a merger of Bell Atlantic and GTE. Verizon never got rid of the GTE resources. For Example, the FIOS support call center for this strike was set up in an unused building in Dallas.
New employees will be hired and trained to work there over the next few weeks to let those covering the strike get back to their normal jobs. And thousands of people in Texas and Oklahoma will soon have new jobs due to your union’s stupidity….
So, Y’all enjoy ranting self-righteously while unemployed. The new people who will being trained to take your job when it moves to Dallas or Tulsa will be happy you left so willingly.
Clunky you need to find clunk of a mind, its missing pieces. I wish i was as greedy as corporate.
Clunker, overseas employees are getting paid $1.78 per hour and no health benefits. is this justified?
That is nonsense. HMO cover is a standard benefit in the Philippines BPO industry.
If it is the fair wage, yes.
Why not ask them?
Also, paying “no health benefits” anywhere, any country can be justified. The employees’ wages can be used to pay for health care. Problem solved.
Verizon union folks are the salt of the earth.
potassium or sodium?
Dirty rat mobs trying to force a business to pay more.
That is all this is about. A bunch of greedy dirty rat union workers wanting to force a company to pay them more.
Unions are no longer needed we already have protection laws. Unions are just a thug mob now.
They should fire all of them and hire individuals who want to compete for the jobs.
Hey why not some illegals doing the jobs Unions won’t do ? Why not ?
the unions is not asking for anything additional pay or benefits ,just keep the same contact or benefits and move forward.
Offshoring Good Jobs – Verizon has already contracted out work to more than
5,000 employees in the Philippines, Mexico, the Dominican Republican and other overseas locations. These offshore workers handle customer service calls originating in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. Verizon wants to increase the number of calls — and jobs — that are transferred overseas.
· Outsourcing Work to Low-Wage Contractors – Verizon is pushing to dramatically expand its outsourcing of work to low-wage non-union contractors. The company wants to sharply expand the amount of contracting out of outside line work, particularly vital work installing and maintaining telephone poles.
· Hanging Up on Wireless Workers – Verizon is also refusing to negotiate a fair first contract for Verizon Wireless retail workers who formed a union in 2014. Verizon says Wireless workers make the company huge profits, but it’s refusing to give them any improvements — even though they’re some of the lowest paid people at Verizon. Also, Verizon is failing to negotiate a fair contract for the 100 wireless technicians who maintain the network in downstate New York.
· Call-Center Closings – Despite the high-demand for customer service, hundreds of Verizon workers are at risk of losing their jobs or being forced to commute as much as three hours more each day because of the company’s plan to close and consolidate call centers. Members’ families and communities would be devastated by these moves. Most of the centers are located in Vz owned facilities and have ample space to accommodate additional call center workers.
· Out of State Assignments – Verizon executives want technicians to work away from home for as long as two months at a time, anywhere from Massachusetts to Virginia, without seeing their families. Some members will be forced to choose between caring for their kids and keeping their jobs
you don’t have any understanding of what is going on,doesnt sound as if you are a union employee ,so why so upset??
If you are management you better hope when this is over you still have a job, because the union workers will.
If you don’t have a dog in the fight why so pissed??even if you are management doesn’t affect you.
Aren’t those “protection laws” being overturned” currently agent86 (what is your name?) RTW laws are turning jobs into slavery as we speak.
It’s astounding how you can speak so much about something you know so little about
I Agree. These people where there working with this company before it was Verizon….They built the towers that gave you the access to complain…Grow up!
Hey idiot
I’m not a big fan of Unions either, AT ALL, however there are DEFINITELY 2 sides to this. Scroll up or use the “Find” tool in your browser and read the post by Malignant Capitalism. He / she is also pretty spot on about corporate greed in general and it’s going on all over the world at rapidly increasing rates.
Wow. Spoken like a true traitor. Your parents would be proud.
you are a fucking TROLL!!!
My advice to the Union is bargain hard but don’t “kill the golden goose” ! Ps lucky they don’t have a more “portable product” like Ford , Carrier etc.
It’s unfortunate that this is what is has come to. There was a time when one would be proud to say they worked for this company. Verizon has changed the rules on these employees so many times I don’t think they can keep up with it anymore. YES they own the company and have the right to do whatever they want – I wouldn’t walk away from this company I would run! They do not care about their employees or their families. As I said to the picketers that I encountered Friday night outside the Verizon Wireless store in Bellingham MA — the only thing you are going to get from Verizon is a boot in the ASS out the door. Why would anyone want to work for a company like this anyway. If and when this strike ends – you are losing money while on strike to go back to work and lose more money and benefits. It’s a lose – lose situation. The morale was lost many years ago.
This started long ago. In the 80’s they de-regulated the telephone wire-line making it a non-utility. This opening the door for the company (Nynex) to cut and not repair and not hire. Until the government pressured Bell Atlantic (same phone ℅) to start maintaining its deteriorating wire line. So in 2000 they had a hiring wave (rare). My friends dad who was a retiree knew I was weighing my options and got me to take the test. 49 people were in my test class….11 passed. But the hire was all to placate the government and the potential buyers of the company (Lowell from GTE). GTE was a behind the scenes cell phone competitor. They needed to maximize revenue. They had been reselling signal from bell Atlantic since cell phones were invented. So he wanted to buy the cow. So to speak. So he did. And Verizon was born. They told the public and the work force that they were going to revolutionize the Internet by using a fiber network and we would have work for a career… Hell our kids would have work of Verizon and the nation would have the most impressive fiber infrastructure in the world. Instead they only rolled Fios out in white affluent areas. Basically, where the CEO and all his mega wealthy pals live. They skirted around low income and minority areas. Fios was a rouse from the beginning. And since they raped bell Atlantic for its central offices, Verizon has been trying to dump the entire wireline. They knew what we had and just knew that they would eventually cut us out of the plan. They lead us along to believe that our hard work, blood sweat and tears would result in fair compensation and well deserved benefits. But what they really have done is incrementally and systematically stripped away most of the fair benefits the workforce has been fighting for for 50+ years. To say I am angry is an understatement. I speak for no one but me. I stand for what is fair. I risk my life so they can make revenue. And they could care less.
There’s a difference between healthy capitalism and Malignant Capitalism. Verizon is practicing the latter: http://tinyurl.com/zbdvy5e @malignantcapita
BIG BIG difference!! What is passing for or being referred to in the world today as “Capitalism” is a TOTALLY BS Crony Capitalism that isn’t even close to true free market Capitalism. But way too many TV watching zombies are still WAY too ignorant of this fact.
Well said! Very encouraging to know that at least SOME people get it. Let’s hope there are more like us. (Maybe they’ll read our Malignant Capitalism book and get educated.)
I agree there is a difference, and capitalism can be used as a tool to build (or re-build in our case) a nation and increase everybody’s quality of life like it once was generations ago. Today we have all the yuppies in business buying out all the out-of-touch old farts in politics. My generation of yuppies seem to have little regard for nation building, and probably don’t care because of globalization. One of the hundreds of factors at play here, but IMO one of the most important.
Wisely put. And in a short-term gain system that increasingly doesn’t care about/devalues anything but the $ and the #’s, quality of life and basic human decency are expendable b/c they don’t immediately increase either one.
Anyone who thinks that this Verizon battle is just about unions is sadly mistaken. There’s a much larger issue here, and that’s how business is being increasingly conducted in America, where products and services AND the people who provide them not only don’t matter, but simple represent an expense to be eliminated by the big dogs at the top.
EVERY industry from healthcare, to communications, to education, to whoever makes your toilet paper—NOTHING matters but profits and THAT’S what’s really happening here and everywhere across the country: the cheapening of products AND the devaluing of the people who provide them, from your last crappy doctor’s visit to getting less chips in the potato chip bag for the same money paid.
People and products are endlessly “cost-cut” to death, so that the big wigs at the very top can meet their quarterly projected profits no matter the cost to the quality of their product/service OR to the people who provide them, from communications workers, to doctors, to teachers, etc.
In fact it’s no longer healthy capitalism at all, but instead a sucking out of ALL the money/value from ALL products/services as well as the people providing them—directly up the the malignant tumor at the top. Instead of healthy competition through excellence in product and the valuing of the hard work, innovation, and personal sacrifice of the ones who make it happen, nobody cares about competition or quality because it’s NO LONGER a free-market competition.
If they could get your labor/time/talent/intellect/etc for free, then get rid of you, the malignant tumor at the top of all our industries would because THAT’S the point of MAXIMAL PROFIT on the graph, when YOU are not on it.
Welcome to the Soviet Union, comrade.
http://tinyurl.com/jjt4h7u
@malignantcapita
“THEY” KNOW GOOD AND WELL that their BS criminal fiat monetary system is just about to go down for good and so all those greedy megalomaniacs are grabbing everything they can possibly get their hands on while they still can!!
.
Stay grounded, stand tall, and hang on tight because a global currency reset IS COMING!! Likely this year.
Well said. Except instead of welcome to the Soviet Union, welcome to the post-industrial world where Americans costs too much to keep safe in the workplace and are slowly being weaned out of labor positions and replaced with robotics. However in the meantime, it costs little to nothing for Chinese or Mexican workers because their people don’t have a say in their government Americans do. You’ll hear about a factory fire in China where all 500 people were burnt alive, then you dig deeper and realize they don’t do that fire alarm code thing over there!
Yes, you’re right. And just as with cancer, the Malignant Capitalism model says that human life at best doesn’t matter and at worst needs to be eliminated to feed the tumor at the top.
Welcome to 1984 and don’t get caught sleeping in a bed (Animal Farm)
my question is,,, are any of the other carriers any better??? they all seem like big business ripping of customers and employees,,, sad
Fios Service is cheap
More giant corporate greed!! Once you’re awake to the international cabal and crime syndicate of the mega wealthy on this planet, and the INTENTIONAL suppression and destruction of the middle class by these megalomanics, it’s SO SO easy to see what’s really going on, so cut and dry!! WAKE UP PEOPLE!!!
.
Just a bit bias but I like it.
I recently read a post that the average employee benefit package amongst the laborors on strike is $70-80k/year in pay and nearly $130k/ year in total benefits.
Admittedly, this was from a Verizon corporate article noting their perspective of the strike / negotiation so it could be inaccurate. However, I’m curious what the union sees as their current average total compensation and what they’re asking for.
This comments section has some intelligent conversation and I’m curious if anyone can provide real numbers on the unions demands.
I can tell you it is a fact the base compensation for a field technician is over $80k per year. With a minimal amount of overtime most technicians are easily over $100k. Ask how many of those technicians have a college degree? When I worked there I would say less than 10 percent have a college degree, including myself. The first year I made over $100k as a technician at Verizon was 1998. That was almost 20 years ago. I would be more than happy to prove it to anyone by showing them my W-2.
I worked hard for the money I earned while working for Verizon but I have seen too many people who don’t. The majority of the bad apples run for elected union positions because they can’t handle working out in the field and are always looking for a way to get out of work.
I’m glad to see the company stand up to the union and start taking away some of the huge benefits they receive. I still work for a large communications company without any union employees. The technicians are fairly compensated and don’t receive a tenth of the ridiculous been its the Verizon Union wokers are receiving.
If you would like some additional hard facts on what they are receiving now let me know.
Thanks for reading.
I’m betting you were fired for something. Really, you left a job that paid 100K in 1998 to work for a non union company? Sorry I just cant fathom that. So now your older with lower pay and no real retirement and bitter that the lazy union guy you speak of is out fighting to retain the benefits they bargained for.
Actually, I volunteered for a buyout from Verizon after working there for 21 years. I received a nice lump sum payment as a manager and got a lump sum pension payment also. I still make over $100k a year working for a telecommunications company with a more forward progress approach than Verizon.
The traditional landline business is dead. Would you keep dumping money in to a business which continuously loses money because you are overpaying wages and benefits to employees? No. The only reason Verizon is still a profitable company is because they invested wisely in the wireless business. If they wouldn’t had done that they would be out of business today. You have to look at this as if you are the owner of the business. What would you do to save costs at your business? Stop looking at this as if the company is trying to screw the poor union worker. If the union would decide to take concessions to try and make the landline business profitable again then maybe they, or you, would have a contract and still be working.
Another thing, why don’t ask the union executives how much they are suffering while their members are out on strike? They are still getting a full paycheck being paid by the billions of union dollars paid by their members. That is a cold hard fact!
Yes. The Verizon employees are getting rich.
While all the reasons listed make sense, only the #4 reason is legit. The remaining other four reasons are commonplace behavior among giant companies like Verizon. I do agree it sucks, though. Corporate welfare, (e.g.) these tax breaks they swindle and negotiate through trade deals and paid for politicians is serious and usually is not passed down to the working class in order to “expand” and “change” with the times and industry. The real question is about the person, you, and if you can find a better opportunity for yourself and your family. It seems as if Verizon is no longer a good opportunity for these workers at a glance. I support them for their strike, but I am just being real.
“Corporate welfare, (e.g.) these tax breaks they swindle and negotiate
through trade deals and paid for politicians is serious and usually is
not passed down to the working class in order to “expand” and “change”
with the times and industry”
You lied. The tax breaks are not corporate welfare at all. Welfare is a handout. A tax break is merely the government choosing to steal a little less of someone’s property.
Verizon is pathetic
I just scheduled service on my phone line a week ago. I was told that I would need to pay out of pocket, fine, charge me, I consented. I change my schedule, arranged child-care and then nobody shows up. No phone call, no email, no follow up… NOTHING… Then you visit the website trying to get answers and they do everything in their power to avoid spending 1 penny on having a human being provide ANY support or input. Which is worthless in my circumstance because no computer program or “self help forum” (which is what they want you to do) can manage my problem, nor do I honestly have the time to manage it myself. Worthless terrible company that has a monopoly on service areas… I have no choice as a consumer. They need to be stopped!
My husband works for Verigreedy, if my husband did this lack of service it would be called a customer mistreat and he would loose a weeks worth of pay. I have called and received the same round of lack of service. Call corporate complain!!! Tell them it’s a customer mistreat. Also anytime you call get their operator number and a job ticket number. Stay on them!!!!!
Your husband sounds veri lazy
I will tell you what it is like to be married to someone who works for Verizon. His schedule is so erratic. You can never plan anything. He works from 730 am till whenever…they have the stupid 11-8 shift that in the dead of winter when its been dark for hours and the temperature is freezing. They still have you working like a dog.They have been working with this same contract for years. Verizon is looking to do away with union workers, so they actually torture them with baby stuff. The managers play baby games. They want to get rid of all their US office workers and send their jobs overseas, ya know just like Dell and HP. Its nice to call Verizon and speak to a US citizen, thats not going to be like that for much longer. What are they paying all these people who are doing installs now….70.00 I believe that is because they have to pay prevailing but what happens when they go non-union and start paying these guys 10.00 an hour, what kind of rif/raf are we going to get? Lets be fair and give these guys what they signed up for. No more than what they are entitled to. Most families are losing 800.00 a week and cannot afford to fight any longer. So will this all be for nothing? We are people too and I think Verizon can share some of that billions of dollars of profits…..keeping the working man down!!!!!
Poor me
I don’t have a dog directly in this hunt but I will say that it’s really hard to find out *exactly* what union want and what Verizon are offering. “Fighting for jobs” is too generic. What precisely are Verizon saying that they want to do? What pay raise/pay cuts are they offering? It’s all very murky.
I will say this though: everyone knows the landline business is dying as the next generation cut the cord. (Do you know of any 25 year olds that prefer their landline over their cellphone?) Verizon management know it too, which is why they would dearly love to be rid of the copper network. If you work on Verizon’s fixed-line network, even if it is the best job in the world, the clock is ticking. Retrain and get out while you can.
I am an employee and we were asking to keep our current contract, but after Verizon figured out how to make enormous profits and still have give backs in the contract they figured why not try again. Except this time the employees have had enough , you and everyone else seems to believe the lies , see Verizon does not tell anyone that their cell phones work because of work we do or have done in the past. They also have decided its easier to send work to other countries and employees to other states than have them fix and maintain the lines in the areas people live. They have agreements with multiple states for a fios rollout that they did not meet They are freezing pensions and trying to make the cost of medical fall as much on the employee even though they will be able to save 200 million on that with new rules in place. They still want more!!!!!!! I do understand Wall Street wants to buy stocks that are profitable but if this company would invest in what has made them all of there money since the beginning, without seeing how to work with the least amount of people possible, they would become more profitable long term. They are looking at each quarter instead of 3-5 years out. They also had a chance to expand in underdeveloped areas dsl and other services where the government was willing to fund the project more than half a billion dollars but they declined because they want to downsize work force, so its all about the future for all of the workers and not just a bunch of people who want a raise, any questions please respond.
This is great info, thank you so much Chris.
Call me what you wish but truth is truth and you need to look it in its ugly face sometimes. Its not about being corporate greed but more about the union greed.
Its the unions fault that this is taking place, they started sleeping
with the company long ago and started stepping on the workers that pay
them. I for one do not feel sorry in the least as the union didn’t hear
my pleas of being ill, while promising me that they would take care of
me. How I wish I could get all the money back I paid into that garbage,
more than once I bought back doctors notes explaining my situation and
still I got no form of help. Just recently I called to see if they could
help me get my job back after winning the EEOC verdict and I was
laughed at. If I decide to cross the picket line to work because I have
no form of income, you know what, the hell with them. Here I sit each
and every month worrying about paying rent or buying food because I now
live on SSDI, I’ve taken many courses to help my situation, went back to
school for a Bachelors degree, applied and have been called by
employers but nothing is panning out. No, I don’t feel sorry, when I
needed the union to get my back, they put a knife deep in it instead. Do
you get that?
Honestly everyone on strike needs to either be fired or forced back to work. The reasons for this strike are bull and are common among corporations, and I applaud Verizon for standing their ground. It’s this reason Wal-Mart will never unionize(Wal-Mart’s bigger and you don’t see those people striking).
Let’s break the points down since it seems everyone enjoys that. The first point of this article is that Verizon expects its workers to do more with less. They have a word for that: A good employee. Those that can’t need to find work elsewhere. It’s the way big business works(especially in today’s work force of i’m doing nothing and getting paid $13/hr to do it).
Point 2: Verizon creating and sending non-union employees apps to spy on union employees. This is nothing worse then grocery stores sending in employees for price matching or secret shoppers, and there’s nothing illegal or unethical about it.
Point 3: Verizon wants to outsource jobs. I don’t blame them at this point. I mean, the US just passed a thing to increase federal minimum wage to $13/hr(even to those that don’t deserve it). There’s no offset, so jobs go elsewhere. People keep forgetting that if minimum wage goes up and there’s nothing to offset it, companies go under from cost(wither you have pension or not – think Grumman Aerospace).
Point 4: Verizon refuses to expand FiOS. I don’t see any merit in this argument. I live in a middle/poor class town in central new york and they just got done adding net packages higher then 75/75 fibre optic FiOS. This came after a local took out a pole and 18+ repair trucks were there to correct it, so I know Verizon cares about it’s customers.
Point 5: Verizon has a history of ripping off taxpayers. This isn’t anything new in the corporate world. Wal-Mart’s done it, Burger King’s done it, and the list continues, It’s another tactic to offset cost until their caught.
This is just a repeat/continual of 2015’s garbage. Corporate Greed is a necessary evil in the game of one-upping everyone. If there wan’t Corporate Greed, Microsoft would’ve never made it past 1995, Apple would’ve folded in the 80s, IBM would’ve folded in the 90s, and the list goes on. Don’t agree with me? fine, but someone needed to set the facts straight. Don’t agree with the way corporations are ran? Tough. It’s been that way since the first business became a corporation and it’s not going to change because a bunch of people want it to.
So just because corporate greed is the norm you are willing just to allow them to screw the common worker. So you are fine with just bending over and taking it up the tailpipe? “Hey we will just take away benefits and lowering their wages and outsourcing jobs for cheaper lesser skilled workers,because this guy is aspineless dope” wow you deserve that $13 an hour job. If it was not for unions and people who fight for fairness…..dumbasses like you would be making less on average. Or on the other hand maybe you are one of those scumbags who have no problem allowing a family of four after laying off their father/mother to struggle just so you can get your $4.5 million dollar bonus for sitting on your ass.
Health Care co-pays? Most folks have had them for 30+ years. No defined benefit pension? ditto. What good is a promised pension anyway when companies can walk away from it in bankruptcy or union goons can use it as a slush fund? Close unprofitable or inefficient locations? What? And my final comment to all those complaining about Verizon’s ‘obscene’ profits, why don’t you go buy their stock?
Right now, it’s a “buy”!
Yes at 50 dollars an hour..plus OT …with OT..many make over 100K a year
you don’t get it.
The only screwing going on here is unions screwing the common worker. Eventually Verizon will be forced to fire or offshore most of its workforce, all because the union is opposed to anyone being paid a fair wage.
“Or on the other hand maybe you are one of those scumbags who have no
problem allowing a family of four after laying off their father/mother
to struggle just so you can get your $4.5 million dollar bonus for
sitting on your ass.”
1) Why did the father/mother get laid off? Because the company simply cannot afford to give that worker the massive handouts the union demands.
2) Take that $4.5 million and divide it among all other workers. See what you have accomplished? Nothing.
3) You are lazy and jealous. Piteously whining about your betters who do much better work than you and earn more money for it.
It’s mind boggling you exist! What rock did you crawl out under from! You are hideous and obviously clueless! Do the research you moron.
I’ve been trying to tell them…Things are different today…They should be careful. 40K striking Emp…and they still have cell and LL service…sounds like they could still function with 20K less…No one on the news will cover…?…The public does not support the union’s greed…It’s all about the loss of union members over the years…down 30% in 5 years…keep telling…maybe CWA members will see how the union is using them
“.The public does not support the union’s greed.”
Less than 10% of Americans choose to have anything to do with unions.
The American worker is strongly anti-union.
Less employees = less managers = less executives.
Don’t you guys do this every 4 years…. last was I think 2011… no wonder they outsourcing. Plus after to talking to some of your colleges here in mass as they where signs that say support the working family in front of a verizon wireless Store that’s empty (which is not the norm) what about those families? Their kids the food your taking off of that table. All while you guys clear over 100k a year after incentives. All I am saying is take that corporate greed mask off and ask yourself if you do this every 4-5 years whose really greedy…….
your info is not accurate.
Care to elaborate? I want to understand the issue better, but I you speak to these individuals and I know it was 2011 pretty sure we could pull up information on all of it.
We clear that amount when VZ management FORCES us to work 12 hours a day 7 days a week (plus holidays). We rather VZ hire more people rather than seriously compromise our health and well being. They did this to us from May thru September of 2015, it was disgusting abusive manipulation of employees. Mismanagement is a huge problem for this corporation. Get all the facts on the table before you draw your conclusions.
Ok so then why do you work for Verizon? Answer that one
My question, too!
you guys are way too weird. go away.
Because he’s too stupid to work anywhere else
Genius, you are lower than whale poop.
Also why wouldn’t your union try to pair with different unions across the country. Nurses are going through this same thing. Along with firefighters why not have a larger voice.
We are.
I don’t work for Verizon, but I talked to one of the picketers. In Boston there are few union members with less than 18 years with the company. The union will disappear over the next 10 to 15 years. Then the company can lower employee compensation and give more profits to shareholders. Some people like that. 90% of the stock market is owned by the wealthiest 10%, so the math is simple – take money from Middle Class workers and give it to the wealthy. Verzion isn’t a struggling corporation. This isn’t about company survival.
There goes your new car and family trip to Hawaii..don’t be stupid…they would kill you to get that kind of OT…lol
You don’t get it. I have 3 vehicles and 2 are new and multiple family trips taken without the overtime. Verizon has become manipulative and abusive to it’s lower pay employees by shoving involuntary forced OT down our throats. Verizon corporate behavior is now anti american. If you are so concerned, you need to analyze all the facts thoroughly. I hope this sheds some light in your head. Verizon is very corrupt at the executive level and it trickles down.
So work someplace else, if you’re so unhappy! You sound awfully spoiled.
genius, you don’t get it. You sound awfully clueless.
Did you understand a word I wrote ?? What an ahole! You do and don’t get it and I don’t have time to educate you and you are wasting my time. Do not reply.
Go back to work…you lazy turd!
Go away you clueless hemorrhoid.
The company locked us out.
Insults from a Trump supporter? Wow, that’s shocking.
Such worthless drivel that I couldn’t make it past reason #1.
Verizon has a market cap of $208 billion, meaning $9.6 billion in profit is less than 4.6% ROI for stockholders last year. With most retirement savers expecting at least 8% ROI, lets not pretend $9.6 billion is a lot of profit when taken in context. Without that context the numbers in the article are meaningless.
And when it points out executive pay over five years it is even more misleading. If 100% of that pay went to the striking workers, it would amount to just over $1000 per year in extra salary. High executive salaries make for a good sound byte, but it has nothing to do with salary disputes with workers.
4.6% ROI is fine. Bringing up retirement savers is great, but 90% of the stock market ROI goes to the wealthiest 10%. The stock market has turned into the largest redistributer of income in the country. Companies are generating ROI by taking money out of Middle Class pockets and passing it on to people who sit on their ass and check their portfolios.
There isn’t a Verizon worker that wouldn’t be happy with an extra $1K. It would also be better for the economy.
Getting rid of workers making $50K is good business, but overpaying execs isn’t an issue? When boards made up of current and former executives determine executive compensation, they will always be overpaid. It’s a rigged system. Don’t tell me about the non-binding stockholders approval. It means nothing.
There are a few good points in this article but it is definitely biased. There is no mention of the ridiculous things that the union requested and no mention that vandalism to Verizon equipment is almost 20x higher during the strike than all of last year.
The union has requested a 12% pay increase over the years even if there are people who don’t deserve it. Verizon has said they will do 7.5% over 3 years.
The union wants spouses and dependants to receive tuition reimbursement for college. That’s just ridiculous!
Please share all the facts not just ones that make your argument look better.
They want a lot of massive unearned handouts.
There are thousands of people who would kill for the money and benefits the the 40 K strikers have…union membership has gone down 30 % in the last 5 years…and what company can still function after losing 40 K workers…Verizon can train a new emp in 30 days…The union and Ma Bell sleep in the same bed…this is about union membership…Don’t lose your well paying jobs over union dues…Family first..
Food for thought…. too many union workers feel entitled to their jobs and think that just because they are in a union they have the protection to do as they please with no consequence. They need to take some of the blame for the company’s demand. If everyone in the union came to work every day with a strong work ethic and pulled their weight they would probably not be in the position they are in today. The company is greedy, the union is greedy and, in too many cases – the employees are both lazy and greedy! How can anyone win this fight with all of these attitudes?!
Don’t forget everything Verizon took from its own managers not so many years ago!! Without the Union Verizon would have already cut all the pensions, like they did to their managers. They would want employees to pay for all their health care! Verizon took most of the perks away from a management positions. They are begging for union workers to take promotions but no one is stupid enough to take a loss to do so. They would take every dollar out of the middle class worker to put a penny into their own pocket! 7.5% pay increase over 3 years won’t even pay for additional cost of healthcare. I don’t know of anyone that would want to be forced to work hundreds of miles from their families for months at a time. Do you? It is bad enough the Verizon has taken every other weekend and every holiday except Christmas and Thanksgiving from thousands of employees. Do they pay overtime for those holidays? Yes. For me I would much rather spend that time with my wife and 4 children. Verizon employees have been pushed to the limit! Tired of the constant harassment, forced overtime, and fear tactics used by this greedy corporate monster. There is more then enough money to go around! Union workers aren’t asking for more of anything!! Just to keep what they have!
Stop whining. I haven’t had a pay raise since 2010. And in 2015 I had to take a pay cut. I get 6 holidays, 0 sick days, 0 grievance, 2 weeks of vacation. And you only get 2 weeks after you complete 5 years of service and that 2nd week of vacation is given to you in the next calendar year. So if you started work on 01/02/2008 you would reach 5 years of employment on 01/02/2013 and you would start getting 2 weeks in 2014. On top of that Vacation time is earned on a weekly basis. So if I took 48 hours of Vacation and got laid off in May. I would have only earned around 25 hours of Vacation and the 23 hours I didn’t earn would come out of my last paycheck. Also I pay %70 of the medical insurance cost. The insurance is privately owned which means only federal laws are required to be followed and state medical insurance laws mean nothing. You would think that wouldn’t matter but it does. One time my daughter was denied coverage for a certain procedure and under my states law that denial would of been illegal. Believe me the state made that law for a good reason a reason that was made to keep insurance companies honest. All this and I work for a publicly traded company whose stock prices are higher than Verizon’s stock by more than $20. They don’t have as much volume as Verizon stocks but the company is worth billions of dollars. I am just happy to be employed. I don’t need more money the one the thing I care about the most is job security which isn’t guaranteed or protected by union reps. So stop complaining.
Screw the union
genius, you don’t get it. is corporate paying you peanuts to post your moronic comments? i’m not surprised. unions are necessary because of lying, corrupt, greedy, sleepy, sleezy exects. VZ is an american traitor outsourcing good american jobs overseas. Do not reply.
Greedy, sleepy, sleazy. Yep that’s the Union. Lazy pigs
Genius, are you anti-american?
Greed, violence, and sloth.
You sure nailed it on the union mentality.
They are so opposed to earning an honest wage.
“VZ is an american traitor outsourcing good american jobs overseas”
Not at all. Union thugs who demand workers be paid way more than a fair wage force companies to offshore.
I feel sorry for you. you are clueless you hemorrhoid.
Says the guy with pictures of little boys as his avatar
Genius, that’s my son and his baseball team.
I worked at Verizon for 27 years, about half as a union member and half as management. Let me just say that you are full of shit. Most union members have absolutely no qualifications for the job they hold, it’s mostly based on seniority and they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing. Second, every single union member is instructed, by the union, to do the minimum requirement of the contract, not one bit more. I have seen windshields broken, cars keyed, etc, because someone did more than the union said they were “supposed to do” in a days work. I have seen the union protect and fight for workers who were drunk on the job, picked up hookers on company time, sold drugs on company property, you name it. I would ask you one question – if VZ is such a horrible place to work, & such an evil company, then why is your husband still working there? Based on what the union claims, these are highly qualified, experienced, top notch workers. Why not move on to a better job at a better company? Yeah, you know why. Because your husband and his union thug cohorts know damn well that they’d be be lucky to work in a tire store for 30 grand a year if it weren’t for VZ. Landlines are a dying business. Use your head, ride it out and take what you can get while the gettins good. You know as well as I that once this is over your life won’t be half as as good as it is now, and you also know that your husband doesn’t have anywhere near the ability to get a similar job anywhere else.
A genius you are not.
This is all B.S. now. My husband is a Verizon employee and wants and needs to go back to work. Yes the company is making alot of money and does not, and as we all can see will not share it. The field is a dying field, my husband has been saying it since 2011. Its not a prediction its a fact you just have to read a little. The members are not updated and have know idea what is going on. We know what the company is offering, they sent their offer to every employee but have no clue what the union wants. Why wont they send or post to their members everything we are fighting for and let the members vote to decide what then want instead of trusting someone with our lives.
BAD FACTS AND HEAR SAY.
The author of this “Mackenzie Baris” should know better than to write a story about a subject she knows nothing about. Did you actually do any research. Fios is up and running in Poplar and Regent which are 2 neighborhoods in Philadelphia. Those areas have a MEDIAN INCOME of of less than $16,000 (yes MEDIAN that means half of the people make less than $16,000 a year). MORE than %50 of households income are below poverty level.
AND GUESS WHAT. Verizon’s take rate in those areas is very low. Which means nobody is signing up for FIOS. It cost a lot of money to install fiber from the central office to a home. Depending on the situation it can cost over $2,000 to get fiber from a distribution HUB to a single home. And that number doesn’t include the cost of ruining feeder fibers to the HUB. So let’s say a buried development that’s all concrete has 10 units that cost $2,000 a home to get a fiber there. Verizon spends $20,000 and then after all that no one signs up. So I can’t blame Verizon for not wanting to build in low income areas. Plus everyone knows that more then half of Verizon’s profit comes from wireless.
One last thing. What’s wrong with hiring contractors? Does no one care that Verizon employees are striking in hopes of a pay raise and to take work away from contractors. Contractors have employees, those employees have families, those employees don’t have pentions, job security, stock options, and they make less money.
I know the union can’t just fold and give into Verizon’s so called best offer. If they give in now VERIZON will try to take more later. But the days of free health care after retiring are over. Get use to it. Also mangers and other non union Verizon employees were trained in certain skills of union workers in case of strikes long before this strike it’s nothing new.
I would guess Verizon has a contract to service Philadelphia, not just certain neighborhoods. Good luck to a mayor who would let the company pick and choose who they service.
All those contractor employees would be better off working for a Verizon that offers good jobs with benefits. Contractors improve profits for Verizon while hurting the Middle Class
There is no wireless without landlines connecting the towers.
Of course contractors would be better off working for Verizon. But then Verizon couldn’t hire everyone that works for each contractor because Verizon couldn’t take on all the people and still offer the wages and benefits.
Well if the $2B/month in profits are true, I’m not sure they couldn’t take on the added workers, but this is life in the US today. The union is going to lose eventually. Talking to a striker yesterday in Boston, he said with a few exceptions, the youngest union members have 18 years with Verizon. If Verizon doesn’t get what they want now, they will in 5 or 10 years when the union is down to a few thousand workers. Less money to workers so stockholders get more. It isn’t about Verizon’s survival or staying competitive, it’s about more money for people with money.
Do you not know how business works. Verizon made 32.17 Billion last Quarter and they got to keep %13 of that amount was is around 4.31 Billion. I know you wouldnt be happy if you owned a business that made $500,000 in sales but only got to keep $65,000 and at the same time the 5 employees you pay $45,000 a year all wanted a %7.5 pay raise. So now they would make $48,375 a year compared to your $48,150 a year. A VERIZON UNION WIRELINE EMPLOYEES TOTAL SALARY AND BENEFITS PACKAGE COST IS AROUND $130,000/year IN THE EASTERN REGION AND $160,000 IN THE NEW YORK/LONG ISLAND REGION. Everyone acts like what you take home before taxes is all that a company is paying to employ you. Insurance, taxes, benefits, etc….. All those employees are getting a big chunk of the money at least %5 of the total sales. That % would be way higher if you didn’t include the sales from the wireless portion of the company. Considering the wireless part of the company is responsible for more than half of there sales.
Plus that %13 doesn’t go into some random guys wallet. Plus most of those old union guys own a lot of stocks, well at least the ones that didn’t panic when the stock market crashed a while back. You don’t have to be rich to own stocks.
So if Verizon duplicates their profit over the next 3 quarters, they have a profit of over $17 Billion for the year. That’s with expenses the way they are now. Verizon is looking to cut workers. Their “flexibility” is firing Americans and shipping the jobs to the Philippines. If your 7.5% raise is supposed to reflect what the union is asking for, that’s over 5 years I believe, or an annual 1.5% raise. That looks okay now, not too good if inflation goes to 2 or 3% in the next year or two. Sounds like you’re reading the company’s ads. The New York workers pay the highest taxes in the country. A typical worker will pay about 10% in taxes before paying a cent in federal taxes. Their numbers will look high to almost anyone else in the country. Your small business example doesn’t hold up when discussing a huge corporation. McAdam gets $18M/year. He’s overpaid, he doesn’t earn it, just like the majority of CEO’s at Fortune 500 companies. Increasing profits by screwing employees isn’t what I consider “earning” money, but it is increasingly becoming the American business model. I don’t know if the union has a stock plan for the workers, if they do, that’s great for the old timers. You do have to have disposable income to buy stock.
Welcome to capitalism?
Capitalism is the most efficient system. Today’s version has pretty much eliminated labor’s voice, so America is on its way to a two class society. It’ll be interesting when 80% of the population is have-nots in the most heavily armed nation on Earth.
Capitalism uuuuused to be the most efficient.
You’re right. When companies started generating more profits by taking back from the workers, capitalism just became a way to make the rich richer.
bingo! thanks
Clueless steve. Capitalism is not like it use to be. Go away you hemorrhoid.
Would you address this headline for me please: “Verizon To Lay Off 1,700 Workers After Paying CEO $22 Million Last Year” This was from June of 2012. In the depths of the recession the corporate hierarchy never had to sweat with the rest of the country, and some things never change.
On another note: I used to live in the very affluent town of Andover, MA who has had FIOS for at least 15 years now. After my divorce I moved to Lowell, a neighboring community with a much lower average income and more affordable housing. Lowell has been screaming for FIOS at least since I’ve been here, but there is also the understanding of why we don’t have it, because we are a poorer city. It is interesting that since the strike began, Verizon has announced it will be revisiting the Boston area soon. Good job guys! Your efforts are working. BTW. I have a five line AT&T wireless account I have been waiting to switch to Verizon for a few years now. I have started the process multiple times but Verizon keeps misbehaving. I had a call in to my corporate offices a week or so ago to switch, but that same day on my way to get groceries I drove by the local picket lines (yes, in my town that doesn’t have FIOS!!) I’m waiting for a good outcome for you guys (the strikers-not so much the corporate millionaires!) The tax avoidance is what really burns me. When I am paying around 25% in income tax which supports the corporations that pay at a -2% and then charge me for their services, all the while crying poverty. These people have no clue what they are doing to the middle class.
First of all Texas got FIOS first and that was 12 years ago. And even though it’s not much %1.4 of Lowell, MA has access to FIOS.
Hahaha. You’re right! 1.4% is certainly not much!.
They could of paid those 1,700 employees $12,941 a year if they didn’t give that bonus. I’m pretty sure that $22,000,000 wouldn’t of made a difference considering if you made $1,000 a week you could bring home $14,400 in 6 months on unemployment.
You forgot how they then protest and harass customers trying to enter wireless locations. Dont believe me try it for yourselve i witnessed a woman get called a b*tch for leaving a wirless store. But they state help support working families. What about the families of the wireless employees who make approx 50k a year. Compared to the union fios guy at 100k whose family is actually being hurt. Also how does one exactly outsource a job of the men and woman doing installs? I dont get it…… now the call centers i get that why pay people a ton of money to answer the freaking phone!!!! Doesnt make sense to me
The huge disparity between executive pay and hourly worker pay needs to be addressed. From Verizon’s business perspective, they know the era of free healthcare and huge pensions are over. It’s not just them, but a trend industry-wide. From Union’s personal perspective, it feels unfair that executives are pulling huge salaries while worker wages are stagnant.
Either cap executive pay using a percentage-point base of hourly worker pay or clearly justify what huge profit margins are being used for. Capital investment? Workforce compensation and benefits? In the end, Verizon users will be the ones most impacted due to corporate and union greed, either through fee increases or poor service.
The looming NJ Transit fare increases from the “resolved” labor negotiations are a stark reminder of what can happen to the regular person.
Go back to work you lazy thugs
Suck a dick you scab!
Genius, you don’t get it. you are clueless. Go away.
go to hell
Touched a nerve? I guess you are just a lazy freeloader.
Greedy lazy pigs.
You union bums make me sad, get back to work. No wonder our country is in the toilet, more fat lazy americans that think they should do less and get more. Why exactly do you think they want to outsource? Because they’re sick of the unions striking every time they don’t get their way. Unions had their time but its long passed.
Genius, you don’t get it. Go away.
Funny, almost every company in Germany is unionized. This isn’t a fat lazy American way of thinking. I used to think like you do, then my eyes were opened to the rest of the world. Look at the world around you and you’ll see how essential
good strong unions are. The problem is there isn’t enough strong unions in the United States. We work longer and harder than most Europeans. Why is that? Why is it they are doing better than us? It’s because they fight for peoples’ rights and try to beat back greedy corporations.
Unions oppose workers rights, which is why American workers hate them.
“You union bums make me sad, get back to work”
It’s a lot easy for these lazy oinkers to loaf on the couch, or stand on a line and wave a sign and harass real workers. They don’t believe in honest pay for honest work.
You know its a sad day when people who have no courage to stand up to Corporate America. Unions are needed more then ever now. These cowards speak of “going back to work”. ” lazy Union thugs”.Non Union cowards thats what they are. They may being willing to drop to their knees and thank their company for the scraps. Obviously they have no courage, no pride, and they are weak little men with no guts to stand up for what’s right. They think be Union is a joke. Well, being Union is like family. We fight for each other. You mess with one of us, you mess with all of us. Stand tall and proud my Union Brothers and Sisters. We will prevail. Proud Union member Ray Sears IBEW 2323
Has nothing to do with standing up to corporate America. The only thing that unions are good for are the people that they entitle. For everyone else, they just raise our prices, lengthen our wait times and increase inefficiency.
I’m sure you will prevail, at losing more of our American jobs to overseas companies never to return.
The problem is that everyone isn’t unionized and we allow corporations to outsource without heavy penalties. Surely you see the lunacy of corporate owned America.
Why should there be heavy penalties?
What we should do is stop the massive overtaxation, regulation, and forced unionization which forces companies to outsource.
” Surely you see the lunacy of corporate owned America.”
Your idea that there is such a thing is pure lunacy.
Either all should be unionized or mobody should. There are many reasons companies outsource, and it is usually for profit. Most often quality declines. Consumers are to blame for outsourcing, they buy the cheapened shit.
From my perspective, it is lunacy to deny that a corporate oligarchy exists. It is plain as day if you actually pay attetion. Do we live in the same United States? Corruption is rampant here.
Prevail huh havent you lost close to 400 thousand in union members since your last strike? You will be wiped out have fun with your cash grab.
“Unions are needed more then ever now”
American workers disagree with you. Less than 10% choose to join. Right to work (which unions hate, as it empowers workers at the expense of union thugs) is popular by a strong majority. Half of Americans want unions abolished.
It’s obvious why: unions harass and steal from workers, and force employers to go offshore.
This and
other reasons are EXACTLY why I’m taking my family and moving to Germany. I can’t believe Americans don’t think they’re entitled to fair wages, healthcare, and time off. And when anyone brings up unions fighting for these basic rights ya’ll beat down the unions! It’s so ass backwards I can’t even wrap my mind around the thought process. Have fun drowning in this floundering ‘Land of Opportunity’ while the rest of the world points and laughs. This used to be the greatest country in the world which is why my husband immigrated and even renounced his German citizenship to become an American, but even he can read the writing on the wall. Wake up before it’s too late!
Alison: Tell your husband to keep following great countries around selling his birthright in the process. Soon he will become content and proud of his nationality so as not to forfeit this and chase fools gold!
Unions fight against basic rights. not for them.
I guess the ones complaining about the strike, have no contact with any of the employees or don’t actually see them as a person. I live right next door to a Verizon worker. Okay he made more than I ever will but I see the hours he keeps when he worked and he didn’t put in one of those mere 8 hour days. Those complaints against company from the workers didn’t come about overnight but over years. Verizon has been trying for years (like most other companies) to have workers do more work duties without having to increase pay. Instead of hiring more workers, they demanded higher production and longer hours and demanded workers pay for benefits, they were already receiving which means less net pay (the money you take home). I stand behind these workers all the way. I guess that breakdown at the terminal 7 at JFK helped Verizon realize the ACTUALLY need the workers. My complaint at this point is how much are they going to pass on to us consumers to keep their profits high.
IF the employees don’t like it, they should leave the company.
Loafing about and harassing the real workers (“striking”) doesn’t help anything.
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These kind of strikes may have caused workers as well as owner because Locking The Office or work place is not the option and if you choose to lock it and get to the strike will make you and owner both suffer but owner can also hire different staff so its better to compromise or direct tell you demands to the owner. I want to appreciate you for sharing.