Verizon Workers Going Back to Work, Without Deal

NEW YORK -- Thousands of striking Verizon workers will return to work Tuesday, though their contract dispute isn't over yet.The 45,000 employees, who have been on strike since Aug. 7, agreed to return to work while they negotiate with Verizon Communications Inc. on the terms of a new contract. The workers are employed in nine states from Massachusetts to Virginia in the landline division.
Among the issues in dispute is the company's move to freeze pensions and its demand that workers contribute to their health insurance premiums. The company argues that it has to reduce benefits as the landline business deteriorates. More Americans are forgoing such lines in favor of mobile phones.


Read more: Verizon Workers Going Back To Work, Without Deal | FoxNews.com

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The economic situation smacks the Strikers.

Verizon has no interest in the poles & wires business, regardless of what the American public does. Verizon has wanted out of that business for the better part of a decade now. They have tried several times to sell their poles & wires (landline) business here in the Northeast without success. Instead what they've done is to create such a terrible service model for the landline business that everyone is moving away from from as quickly as possible.

These workers are fighting for their LIVELIHOODS. If Verizon does away with their landline business, these people will be out of jobs permanently.

For those wondering how I know all of this.... I work for an electric utility company that shares a large amount of service territory with Verizon.

Tigger said:

Verizon has no interest in the poles & wires business, regardless of what the American public does. Verizon has wanted out of that business for the better part of a decade now. They have tried several times to sell their poles & wires (landline) business here in the Northeast without success. Instead what they've done is to create such a terrible service model for the landline business that everyone is moving away from from as quickly as possible.

These workers are fighting for their LIVELIHOODS. If Verizon does away with their landline business, these people will be out of jobs permanently.

For those wondering how I know all of this.... I work for an electric utility company that shares a large amount of service territory with Verizon.

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That's part of LIFE. **** changes.

Wonder how many horse and buggy makers went out of business because of Henry Ford...

MrVicchio said:

That's part of LIFE. **** changes.

Wonder how many horse and buggy makers went out of business because of Henry Ford...

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What they're complaining about is the fact that it's Verizon's SERVICE that is running many of these people out of the landline phone business, much more than it is the cellular technology itself. Try to get Verizon to set a pole for you, to provide landline service to your new house out in the middle of nowhere (where there IS NO CELLULAR SERVICE). I GUARANTEE you're going to wait at least SIX MONTHS to get that pole set if you live in Massachusetts. It's actually ILLEGAL, but the telecommunications regulators let them get away with it.

Good for the employee's. I'm glad to see this and hope they can work out their differences.

1Perry said:

Good for the employee's. I'm glad to see this and hope they can work out their differences.

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I forsee them walking out again, because I don't see Verizon giving anything at the table. This looks to me (a Union officer) like a way to be able to say.... "See, we're coming back, now YOU need to give something." WHEN Verizon refuses to do so, I suspect you'll see the workers walk out again, probably sometime in mid-late September.

Tigger said:

I forsee them walking out again, because I don't see Verizon giving anything at the table. This looks to me (a Union officer) like a way to be able to say.... "See, we're coming back, now YOU need to give something." WHEN Verizon refuses to do so, I suspect you'll see the workers walk out again, probably sometime in mid-late September.

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Maybe. I would hope that Verizon would at least consider relooking at things since the employee's have taken this step.

1Perry said:

Maybe. I would hope that Verizon would at least consider relooking at things since the employee's have taken this step.

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As I said before, they want OUT of the landline business very badly. These are almost all landline workers from what I understand. Verizon would love to get rid of them alltogether, but until they have found a way to rid themselves of the poles and wires, they can't.

I saw a Verizon truck with two supervisors or engineers (I assume) trying to do some work on a junction box yesterday. They both looked totally befuddled and completely ignorant of what they were supposed to be doing. THAT might be what brings Verizon to the point of having to actually negotiate.

The landline business is virtually nonexistant. I think the time they are wasting by going on strike they could be using by looking for a different job.

Tigger said:

As I said before, they want OUT of the landline business very badly. These are almost all landline workers from what I understand. Verizon would love to get rid of them alltogether, but until they have found a way to rid themselves of the poles and wires, they can't.

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So they still need employee's until then.

DashingAmerican said:

The landline business is virtually nonexistant. I think the time they are wasting by going on strike they could be using by looking for a different job.

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Yes, the landline business is nowhere near what it was even 15 years ago. I don't think anyone will deny that. Many of these employees are like my Union Brothers and Sisters.... they're in their 40's and 50's. They've been doing this work for 20-30 years already. They got these jobs right out of high school, and this has been their career. They do not want to have to be looking for another line of work. They're at least halfway through their working careers and don't want to start over at ground zero again. I can't say that I blame them for that. Especially since until Verizon divests itself of the landline business, which they are not having an easy time doing, these workers will be needed.

1Perry said:

So they still need employee's until then.

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Exactly. What it would seem Verizon WANTS to do is to bring in outside contractors at a reduced rate to do the work. They apparently want to reduce their in-house workforce to as minimal as they can get away with and use the contractors, for whom they don't pay benefits, to do most of the work. No sensible Union is going to allow that to happen any more than absolutely necessary.

MrVicchio said:

That's part of LIFE. **** changes.

Wonder how many horse and buggy makers went out of business because of Henry Ford...

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Funny, I think the same thing about coal as a source of electricity.

Deuce said:

Funny, I think the same thing about coal as a source of electricity.

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Thing is, you make changes that work, not changes that "feel good"

Well Fox is right... AND wrong.

The old contract will go back into effect Tuesday, while negotiators continue to work towards a new resolution, said Larry Cohen, president of the Communications Workers of America, which represents about 35,000 Verizon employees. He said workers were willing to return because the company seemed ready to negotiate.

"The strike was about the process. We are now convinced that a change to the process is possible," Mr. Cohen said. "The risk of going back to work while negotiating this is worth it to us." He said talks would resume late next week.

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Verizon Employees to Return to Work - WSJ.com

Lord I hate cell phones!!!! I really do!

Now that that's out of my system. It is good when business and employees work together. And good when they are willing to talk and listen. Generally bad when one side holds too much leverage.

So, this seems fine so far.