Diary of a Union-Busting Campaign

Learn how Verizon is trying to stop workers from organizing a union. And how Verizon workers are standing together and fighting back. Jump to page 1 to follow the campaign from the beginning.

| August 2007 | July 2007 | June 2007 | May 2007 | April 2007 | March 2007 | Jan-Feb 2007 |

June 29, 2007

Over 3,000 chanting Verizon employees decended on Verizon HQ in New York City yesterday. CWA and IBEW members came by train, bus, and boat (yes, the Staten Island Ferry) to give a warning to Verizon that Union Busting at Verizon Business will not be tolerated. The rally was also to fight Verizon's attempt to sell land-lines in New England to an outfit called Fairpoint.

At this massive rally, Verizon Business Tech John Sweeney spoke passionately about the need for VZB techs to keep up the fight to join the union. John challenged the company to respect the wishes of a majority of techs who have already signed cards to join the union.

Watch the video of his speech.

When you watch this video, keep in mind what managment has been saying about unions. Does the crowd at the rally look like a third party? Do these chanting union members feel that the union is only out for the dues? When you watch the video, it will be clear as day that the union is the membership. It will be clear that the membership welcomes VZB techs into their ranks, and that IBEW and CWA members support your right to organize. Watching this video will also make clear that being a member of a union means joining a group with POWER.

Also check out these still pictures of the rally.

June 15, 2007

What Are You Worth?

VZB says they now pay "market" rate, so VZB techs no longer need the protections of a union. Although this is significantly less than what IBEW and CWA techs earn, we can see for ourselves whether or we are being underpaid at VZB.

According to www.militaryhire.com (this company keeps track of what market rate is for varying tech jobs), a Starting Tech I should earn $52,330, a Starting Tech II should earn $59,806, and a Starting Tech III should earn at least $68,545.00. The numbers vary slightly by location, so you can go to the site and type in your zip code for for detailed info.

These numbers are the median incomes for a starting salary. Those with seniority should earn more, obviously. How do you compare, now that VZB has given out their wage increases? If you still believe that you deserve to be paid what you are actually worth, you can do something about it!

• Wear Red on Thursdays to show your unity
• Join thousands of your unionized brothers and sisters at a huge rally on June 28th in NYC to press Verizon to recognize your union. Free buses from New England, Long Island, and Rockland County are available. This rally is not to be missed!

June 12, 2007

Remember we sent out bargaining surveys a few weeks ago?

Here's what VZB techs--as a group--have been saying. The response was very good, and so this should be an accurate reflection of what we--as a group--want in a union contract. The following is what we want to see changed at work, in order of importance:

1. More affordable health insurance
2. Higher wages and regular wage increases
3. A real pension for retirement
4. Job security and no layoff promises
   

   The above 4 were overwhelmingly the top choice for most VZB techs.  These next items were all clustered in the middle of the pack:  

5. More sick time and vacation time.
6. Seniority protections
7. Retiree health insurance
   
   The next priorities were:
   
8. Fairer overtime rules
9. A written job description
10. Safety training
    

    The following, below, were all tied for 11th place:

11. Work week of Monday thru Friday
    A fairer promotional process
    Lunch breaks
    
    And the following were tied for 12th place:
    
12. A dispute mechanism (grievance procedure)
    A voice on the job

As the pressure on Verizon grows, we are hopeful that they will see that they must respect the wishes of a majority of their employees, who have already chosen a union. Once Verizon recognizes the union, we can sit down with management and begin negotiations to make these improvements.

In the comments field, this is a sampling of what you wrote (the names have been taken out).

• It is great that the company recently gave us a wage increase in the form of a "market rate" adjustment. However, it is sad that we are told we are the greatest employees, with the best, most advanced network in the world, but [we] are only worth 50% of "market rate."
  
  There are a select few that make significantly more. Trying to figure out why or what it takes to get on track to those same select wages get a vague or programmed "pay for performance" answer from management and HR. Keys to advancement are a big secret only revealed on a need-to-know basis. Well, after years as a legacy MCI employee, I'm still not privileged to the info. I am not disgruntled, even after years and years. I like my job. I am, however, disappointed that a successful company with very wealthy CEOs hasn't done a better job of sharing that success and wealth with the employees that made it possible.
  
  I am in support of the union. I will not flip-flop. The company's recent efforts to improve things are too little too late.
  
  
• My Director told me straight out . . . "Don't sign a union card, let me represent you, not someone you don't know." This is what happened since my director has represented me: I got a 2.5% raise (first in 3 years), I got a 77% of a 5% STI bonus, and ZERO "fair market" wage adjustment. If I had really hired him to represenet me, I would have fired him!
  
• I have been here for 7 years and have not received a deserved promotion. While they hire other, less qualified candidates at a higher wage and position.
  
• I'd like to see more sick days, and sick days should be different from personal days. Also, time and a half for 40-49 hrs, double time after 49 hrs, and automatic double time for Sundays.
  
• Verizon Business needs to allow the technicians to "specialize," form departments based on those specialties and provide training during work hours without the burden of performing regular work. Additionally, these specialty departments should be headed by Supervisors to support the workers to restore the horizontal organization that once existed -- and performed with excellence. Finally, upper management needs to recognize the importance of its technical work force and their environment -- clean, remodel and upgrade! This is supposed to be America, a highly developed industrial and technological society -- not a Third World country run by dictators!

June 5, 2007

For those in the NY area, keep June 28th open in your calender. Join us for a large display of UNION POWER as we send a message to Verizon that Union Busting will not be tolerated in this company.

For those in the Boston area, keep August 2nd open for the very same reason.

Details will follow, but this show of force is not to be missed. The existing IBEW and CWA members -- as promised -- are beginning to increase the pressure on this company to respect the rights of its employees to form unions. In the long run, Verizon must figure out a way to work with both the VZB techs who want to join the union, and the 95,000 union members who have your back. Verizon's future depends on its employees --we hope they get that message.

Again, June 28th, mark it in your calander for a NY UNION POWER show of unity, and Aug. 2 in Boston. Details coming up.

The much-promised raises ("industry standards," etc.) have been given out. Some people have gotten decent increases, many more have been--once again--left behind. Now that the dust has settled, the following truths are still clear as day:

• we still don't have a pension; our union brothers and sisters do.
• we still pay an arm and a leg for health insurance; our union counterparts make the company pay.
• we still live in fear of layoffs; our union co-workers have a no-layoff clause.
• we still earn much much less than the techs in the union.

It has been frustrating to wait so long to gain a union. Management wants us to believe that they will win. Management is trying to run out the clock, hoping we will just give up.

June 28th and the first week of August will be our answer to management's hope that we give up. VZB techs and VZ union techs are better off standing shoulder to shoulder for our mutual interests. Our unity will give us strength. Always has, always will.