Verizon Bargaining 2011: Update - August 7, 2011

No meetings were held with the company since the strike was called at midnight. Your union bargaining team met several times throughout the day and participated in several conference calls and National town hall calls with District 2-13 Vice-President Ed Mooney and CWA President Larry Cohen. Since the strike has been called Union members, along with their spouses and children, have come out in force all across the Mid-Atlantic to demonstrate against Verizon’s unrealistic demands.

Since bargaining began on June 22, Verizon has refused to move from its long list of concessionary demands. As the contract expired, nearly 100 concessionary company proposals remained on the table. We have advised the company that we would consider returning to work when management demonstrates a willingness to begin bargaining seriously for a fair agreement. If not, CWA and IBEW members and allies will continue to fight back against their outrageous “give-back” demands.

District 2-13 Vice-President Ed Mooney, along the Gail Evans, the Regional Bargaining Team Chair for the Unions and Bill Huber, IBEW Local 827 Business Agent, traveled to New York Sunday afternoon to meet with company executive’s on Monday morning in an effort to get the parties back to the bargaining table to begin realistic and progressive discussions.

Members across the Verizon footprint need to remain fired up and continue their strike activities. We let this company know that we won’t cave in or back down to their one sided approach to bargaining. Their miscalculation and arrogance put us in the position we are in right now. And, at Midnight on Saturday we told them one thing for certain, “WE WON’T GO BACK”.

Stay in touch with your local union representatives and check your union websites for the most up to date reports.

NO CONTRACT NO PEACE