Verizon Disrespects Techs Who Repaired Storm Damage
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Verizon technicians, members of CWA locals across Maryland, Virginia and the
District of Columbia, raced to restore service to the Mid-Atlantic region
earlier this month after a series of fatal, power-cutting thunderstorms. Working
12 to 16 hours a day, crews hit the streets early on June 30 to clean up the
wreckage and replace electronics after violent storms devastated the area,
knocking down trees, poles and wires. Workers put in extended shifts to
restore service, replacing 163 poles and re-hanging about 900 downed lines
across the region. But while Verizon praised its workers for being on the job
for more than 12 hours daily in temperatures exceeding 100 degrees, “that
appreciation stops far short of the bargaining table,” CWA reports, “where
Verizon continues to demand cuts in compensation of at least $10,000 per worker
per year and doesn't even think workers deserve a pay raise.” Click
here for CWA’s report and Verizon’s video on workers cleaning up after
the storm. - image still from video
