Activists Confront Verizon Board Member

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Verizon board member Rodney Slater ran, but he couldn’t hide from activists Wednesday. Slater was spotted by activists who were leaving a demonstration at the lobbying firm Patton Boggs, where Slater is a partner. The demo, which featured puppets, banners, signs, and chants, was organized by DC Jobs with Justice and Avodah Jewish Service Corps members working in DC this year. They attempted to deliver a letter to Slater showing community support for the 45,000 Verizon workers still fighting for a fair contract, but were turned away at the Patton Boggs offices at M & 26th Streets NW. As several activists left the action, they ran into Slater outside a nearby parking lot. “We jumped into action” said Jobs with Justice’s Rosa Lozano. When they tried to talk to him, Slater and his surrounding security “ran into the parking lot” and the activists were barred from entering the property. After confronting Slater and spending the afternoon flyering his coworkers and passersby, the activists left feeling confident Slater would not be able to ignore the thousands of workers who continue to fight for a contract. - photos by Lillian Walker-Shelton