Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 22

The current round of negotiations with Verizon has been unprecedented, both in terms of the scope of Verizon’s attacks on the middle-class jobs of our members, and the company’s absolute refusal to engage in serious collective bargaining towards a new contract.

There has been absolutely no movement by the company at the table since talks began on June 22nd. Every concessionary company proposal remains on the table. We have never seen anything like this in 50 years of bargaining with Verizon and its corporate predecessors.

As a result, CWA and IBEW have decided to take the unprecedented step of striking to force management to stop its Wisconsin-style tactics, and to start bargaining in good faith.

45,000 CWA and IBEW members walked off the job at midnight to demand that a company, which made $22.5 billion and paid its top executives $258 million over the last four years start bargaining in good faith and stop its attack on middle class jobs.

If and when the company agrees to bargain, then we will return to work and bargain until a fair agreement is reached.

Now more than ever we need to stand together as union sisters and brothers. As District 2-13 Vice-President Ed Mooney said on the conference call with Local Presidents this evening, “We are aware that we now have 45,000 families on strike. This is a serious step that we had to take if we are going to force this company into negotiating a fair agreement”.

Once again, as of midnight tonight the CWA Executive Board authorized a strike against Verizon, Verizon Wireless and Verizon Connected Solutions. If you are at work, you need to immediately get up and leave. As of midnight, we are on strike. If you are scheduled to report to work tomorrow, you should contact your Local for picket instructions.

“WE WON’T GO BACK”

“WE WON’T GO BACK”

“WE WON’T GO BACK”