To be clear, voting to authorize a strike is not the same as deciding to go on strike. But it shows you are ready to do so if necessary, and the 35,000 Verizon workers who are members of the Communications Workers of America have authorized a strike if they have not reached a deal when their current contract runs out on August 6.
Verizon is demanding major concessions from workers:
“Verizon has put on the table the most aggressive set of contract demands we’ve ever seen,” said Robert Master, legislative and political director for the communications workers in the Northeast. “From our perspective, this hugely profitable company that made $20 billion over the last four years, despite the worst economy in 75 years, seems determined to turn tens of thousands of secure middle-class jobs into lower-wage, much less secure jobs.”
Some Verizon workers, represented by the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, will hold a separate strike authorization vote.