Telecom workers begin year-long campaign for good jobs and reliable services at Verizon
Boston Hundreds of telephone workers united in the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the Communications Workers of America (CWA) rallied for good jobs on Thursday, August 5 at Verizon's New England headquarters.
"A year before our contracts expire, we're sending a message to Verizon's top management that we'll fight for the preservation of good jobs, quality health care and secure pension benefits in negotiations next year," said Myles Calvey, Business Manager of IBEW Local 2222 and chair of the New England telephone workers' bargaining committee. The current agreement with Verizon expires on August 6, 2011.
"Some very profitable companies are using the recession as an excuse to demand givebacks and concessions from their employees," added Calvey. "We want to make it clear to management that union members aren't going to fall for that nonsense at Verizon."
Other speakers at the rally included Lt. Gov. Tim Murray; Congressman Stephen F. Lynch; Rep. Marty Walsh; Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Bob Haynes; Rich Rogers, Executive Sec-Treas, Greater Boston Labor Council; Ed Fitzpatrick, President, IBEW Local 2222; Don Trementozzi, President, CWA Local 1400; John Laughlin, Painters D.C. 35; Peter Derouen, UFCW Local 791; Ed Kelly, President, Boston Firefighters Local 718; Bill McGowan, Business Manager, IBEW Local 2323; Ed Starr, Business Manager, IBEW Local 2321; Dave Keating, Business Manager, IBEW Local 2325; and John Rowley, Business Manager, IBEW Local 2324.
Verizon's second quarter finances showed $9.8 billion in cash flow from operations, up nearly 30 percent from 2009. The $108 billion company had $5.5 billion in free cash flow, up nearly 77 percent from the second quarter in 2009.
Verizon had significant job cuts in 2010. There are now 24,500 fewer employees than one year ago -- and it spent $2.3 billion in the second quarter dealing with union negotiated buyouts to avoid layoffs. "We protected our members during unprecedented job cuts," said Calvey. "But I expect that job security will continue to be a major issue in next year's contract talks."
The workforce reductions, buyouts and layoffs in recent years stem largely from landline losses, but also from Verizon's massive shift away from rural America. Despite strong union opposition, Verizon has sold off its landlines in Hawaii, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and most recently in 14 other states, substantially reducing union membership.
Meanwhile, the company has focused its investments in the largely unregulated -- and as yet mostly nonunion wireless side of its business.
"Verizon's top management has built an artificial wall separating wireless and other business operations from wireline," said Don Trementozzi, President of CWA Local 1400. "Management is using this wall to block members from the high growth, high profit segments of the company."
"We are gearing up to fight for enhanced organizing rights for Verizon Wireless workers and to help them unite for wages and working conditions comparable to ours," added Trementozzi. "If we don't, Verizon will continue to use its 'divide and conquer' tactics to undermine our contracts." Local 1400 represents hundreds of Verizon workers at call centers throughout Massachusetts.
Both unions have been educating members and building support for enhanced organizing rights for Verizon Wireless employees. Members at IBEW Local 2222 and delegates to the recent CWA national convention have passed resolutions in support of the campaign.
Because customer and community support is so critical to winning good contracts, telecom workers have been building support in anticipation of the 2011 contract.
Members at both unions very actively supported striking workers at Shaw's Methuen warehouse. "I'll be there to support the telephone workers," said UFCW Local 791 member Laurie Comeau-Hunter Mahoney. "We can never repay IBEW and CWA enough for all that they have done for Shaw's workers."
IBEW 2324 PICNIC
When:Saturday, September 18,2010
12NOON-7PM
Where: BERKSHIRE INDUSTRIES PAVILLION
(behind Berkshire Industries)
109 Apremont Way, Westfield , MA 01095
Adults-$10
Children 12 and under -$5
Hotdogs,Hamburgers,Clam Chowder,Soda,Raffles,Sports,Music,Carnival Games,Face Painting and more
see your executive board rep
State will retain its ability to regulate new Voice Over Internet communications technologies
Boston – When the Commonwealth of Massachusetts put forward a new Economic Development bill, Verizon and Comcast inserted a little known provision to deregulate "Voice Over Internet Protocol" technology, often called VOIP.
VOIP is the communication technology of the future. Soon nearly every telephone call will be made using an internet protocol instead of the traditional wireline network.
Verizon and Comcast's bid to deregulate the technology would leave their telephone customers without recourse to ensure quality services while threatening the jobs of thousands of telecom workers throughout Massachusetts.
"We need to partner with our customers for quality services and good jobs," said IBEW Local 2222 Business Manager Myles Calvey, who also chairs the telephone workers T6 Council that covers all of Massachusetts and Rhode Island. "Verizon must understand that the installation and maintenance of VOIP services is union work from start to finish."
Verizon has been doing the VOIP work with low-paid, out-of-state contractors while laying off thousands of local, well trained and experienced local telephone workers.
"Hundreds of concerned citizens and telephone workers made calls to their elected representatives to resist the attempt to de-regulate this new industry," said Senator Steven Tolman, who championed the cause in the Senate chamber. "I was proud to stand with working families today in an effort to keep jobs in Massachusetts and available to hardworking men and women."
