Area CWA Locals Call for Mobilization Against Verizon
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Verizon is apparently taking
its’ negotiating cues from Republicans in Congress, who a frustrated President
Obama last weekend accused of being unable to “say Yes to anything.” After
Verizon rejected union proposals on Friday, CWA modified its’ demands and
returned Saturday only to have them rejected again. “We are ready to talk when
they are ready to negotiate,” CWA said. The union – including area CWA
locals -- is holding a virtual union hall meeting by phone on Verizon East
bargaining and mobilization this Wednesday, where District Vice Presidents Chris
Shelton and Ed Mooney, IBEW Local 827 President Bill Huber, and IBEW T-6
Chairman Myles Calvey will report “on what's happening at the table and how
we're fighting back.” Despite earning $19.5 billion in profits and paying out
$258 million to a handful of top executives in the last four years, “this
company wants to gut the collective bargaining agreements we've negotiated over
more than 60 years. We're not going to let that happen,” CWA vows. CWA members
can participate in Wednesday’s 7p Union Hall meeting by phone: to sign up for
the call, click
here. The CWA and IBEW are also urging members and supporters to attend
their massive rally at Verizon’s NYC headquarters this Saturday, July 30th.
The current Verizon contract, which covers 45,000 Verizon workers in the
Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions, expires August 6.
- Matt
Fournier