It hasn't gotten much coverage, but the Communications Workers of America and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is likely going on strike at midnight tonight.
The New York Times reports:
Officials with the union, the Communications Workers of America, said Verizon was demanding so many concessions — on health coverage, pensions and other matters — that it would set workers back 50 years.
Verizon executives say far-reaching concessions are needed because of a long-term drop in revenue and profit in its land line telephone business and because of intense competition in television and Internet services.
The Communications Workers and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, which represents another 10,000 workers at Verizon, have both threatened to strike at 12:01 a. m. Sunday, when their contracts expire, unless a settlement is reached by then. The strike would involve telephone repair technicians, customer service representatives and cable installers from Massachusetts to Virginia.
In a statement issued at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Candice Johnson, a spokeswoman for the Communications Workers, said negotiations “are not moving forward.”
“Over months of negotiations, there has been no real bargaining by Verizon management,” Ms. Johnson said. “In fact, every major concession demand — more than 100 in all — remains on the table. Even at the 11th hour, with contracts set to expire, Verizon continues to seek to strip away 50 years of contract gains.”
Commentary after the flip...
Last week I had Verizon's FiOS service installed. I would have waited, except for this impending strike. If these workers strike, you will likely have scabs installing your service, because Verizon has been interviewing for people.
Verizon employees do get paid relatively well for this economy, but when the tech left from my installation, I told him that I am with the union on this. I said, "Fight for your pension, because if you lose it, it's gone forever."
The Republicans and the right have succeeded smashingly at getting middle class people who have already been screwed over bickering with other middle class people who haven't, while the big guys steal fthe few dollars left in their wallets in their back pockets. Instead of wanting the benefits of union workers, Americans are siding with those who would take those hard-won benefits away from them.
It's not hard to understand the resentment. If you've seen your hard-saved 401(k) lose a chunk of its value this last week, it may be hard to have sympathy with people trying to keep their defined benefit pensions. But it's that lack of sympathy that the Koch Bros. and their ilk rely on...because they cannot dismantle a middle class that is paying attention to what they're doing, but they sure can dismantle one that's too busy bickering with those who haven't yet lost everything.
I keep being reminded of that Martin Niemoller quote, which I paraphrase partially here:
First they came for the teachers, and I said nothing because I was not a teacher.
Then they came for the 9/11 responders, and I said nothing because I was not a 9/11 responder.
Then they came for the Verizon line workers, and I said nothing because I don't work fr Verizon.
How will this quote end this time?
Sun Aug 07, 2011 at 5:52 AM PT: Update: both the CWA and IBEW walked off at midnight. Negotiations are ongoing, but there are over 100 concessions still on the table.
Sun Aug 07, 2011 at 7:23 AM PT: Another update: I'm glad I gave the guy who worked on my installation all day on Thursday a cash tip. Strike pay is $200/week for the first month.
I'm also surprised that there are no other diaries on this. For all the lip service being paid to supporting unions, are the CWA and IBEW somehow "different" because they represent workers in the private sector?