Verizon Bargaining 2011: Report # 48

The Mid-Atlantic Bargaining team met with the company today to question the company on the potential savings for every cut the company has submitted in its proposal. The demand for givebacks in the company’s proposal again demonstrates a step in the wrong direction in trying to reach an agreement. The union also questioned the logic behind some of the company’s non-economic demands and the benefit to them if these proposals were accepted.

We met a second time with the company later in the evening to get responses to several outstanding healthcare questions. The union questioned the company as to whether it had explored specific alternatives to their current healthcare proposal. Your Mid-Atlantic Bargaining team continues to meet with the company in order to obtain information we feel will help us beat down this ridiculous company proposal.

Our members must keep an eye on the bargaining report from October 12th and focus on the items this company wants to rip away from you and your families. What Verizon is attempting to do is destroy the Middle Class by moving good paying jobs with good benefits to low paying jobs with no benefits. For years, Verizon has declared surplus after surplus while continuing to move more of our work to contractors. They are attempting to shift over 100 million dollars of healthcare expense to our retired members and in the process destroy the lives of our retired members. This greedy Corporation wants to destroy your jobs, your benefits and your union. We must stand together and never allow them to do that. Every member both active and retired needs to stay involved and if you are not you need to get involved in all mobilization activities.

The New York/New England committee also met with the company today. After heated discussion regarding the last company proposal, the company walked out of the New York/New England bargaining session earlier today. The New York/New England committee has returned to their locals to step up mobilization. We must all join in the fight to stop Verizon’s Corporate Greed.