CWA Members Attend SB 813 Hearing in Maryland

On Tuesday, March 20, 2012, forty plus CWA members, all wearing red, gathered shortly after 12:00 pm outside the Maryland Senate Finance Committee hearing room to show opposition to Senate Bill 813.  This bill, introduced by Senators Astle and Pugh on behalf of Verizon, would effectively allow Verizon to sell off their landline assets to any company without the oversight of the Public Service Commission.  Hearings started at 1:00 pm, but unfortunately for us, there were twelve bills on the day’s docket and SB 813 was being heard last.  For over four hours we sat and paced patiently outside the hearing room.  Noticing all the red shirts, people from other waiting groups approached us, wanting to know why we were there.  It was a great opportunity for us to tell others what Verizon was attempting to do and how it would negatively impact them.  Many offered support and words of encouragement.  Finally, shortly after 5:00 pm, we were told that SB 813 was going to be heard. 

We smiled as the Finance Committee’s questioning of Verizon quickly showed them that this bill wasn’t just to “level the playing field” or “stream line” processes, but was in fact, an attempt to sell off landlines without oversight.  We quietly cheered as Doug Navarian, Chairman of the PSC, told the hearing committee that Verizon was not being honest in their portrayal of the bill, that their comments were misleading. 

In the end, Verizon was shown to be shifty and sneaky.  Forty CWA members thought that every second of that nearly five hour wait was worth it.  In attendance were members from Locals 2100, 2101, 2106, 2107, 2108, 2300, 2336, and retirees from RMC 2108.  Paula Vinciguerra from Local 2106 testified at the hearing.

Click here to view more photos from the hearing.