Verizon, CWA, IBEW contract witching hour draws nigh

I spent 5 years in the union, 1.5 as a chief. I have been in MGT the last 5 years. I do appreciate the union as none of us would have the benefits we have without them. I would also say they are crippling this company. We have a situation now where younger, more productive workers are looking at being laid off, while senior members continue to stay on. I don't want to paint everyone with the same brush, but there is alot of dead wood in the pile. I have never in my 10 years with the company heard of the union espousing worker quality or productivity. Times are changing, our economy is in shambles, our company is hurting financially. It is time for a more flexible union that pushes the company to stick to the contract, but also pushes its members to be productive. We have the worst productivity in Fl and this causes us to spend more than we make. The company will continue to make cuts until expenses are reduced. The members have the ability to do this by simply being more productive. Please help, I need my job to and don't want to work for Fairpoint.

I am new to a Verizon and a union enviorment,and I can see already the frustration,,unions to me are supposed to support the quality of life and to prevent greed by the corporate enviorment.Our founders worked hard for this.We are a symbol of qualityby having strength in numbers,,you are a union worker you are responsible and do a top notch job,,that is why we get paid a lot,but I also know that corp would like nothing better than to dissolve this, so i know ther are certain members who do not take pride in their work,,but I am not..I do my best and I do it right,the first time.and if I do not know I eduacate myself,thus making the union stronger,,I want to be a part of a team who stands together united,,and that is how we will survive,,through strength and dignity..John

I am new to a Verizon and a union enviorment,and I can see already the frustration,,unions to me are supposed to support the quality of life and to prevent greed by the corporate enviorment.Our founders worked hard for this.We are a symbol of qualityby having strength in numbers,,you are a union worker you are responsible and do a top notch job,,that is why we get paid a lot,but I also know that corp would like nothing better than to dissolve this, so i know ther are certain members who do not take pride in their work,,but I am not..I do my best and I do it right,the first time.and if I do not know I eduacate myself,thus making the union stronger,,I want to be a part of a team who stands together united,,and that is how we will survive,,through strength and dignity..John

You non-union people are so jealous that we get better pay, you neglect to understand that it is YOUR way of thinking...just give in and accept getting the shaft...that made this country go down the drain. Yes work will come to a grinding halt if we go out on strike...so much for the managers knowing how to do the jobs WE do! If more people stuck to their guns with unions, and didn't let these companies keep taking away their benefits, this country would be alot better off. Unions a thing of the past? Right! No wonder we are a nation of unhappy, aggrivated people working for peanuts and no benefits...why? Because YOU agreed to it! Most of you morons should know you always have to fight for what you believe in! That's what made America great hundreds of years ago, and that's why it's failing now. Just give in and give up! Take the crappy pay which in turn makes you not want to even bother to do a good job. You are the reason you're not getting what we get... YOU ARE NON- UNION!

Verizon only cares about Verizon. The only winners will be the suits. The corporate suits and the union suits. The employees are nothing more than pawns in a giant chess game. The unions have hundreds of millions of dollars and the comany has billions. This company DOES NOT care about it's employees.

Makes one wonder what management will be giving up this time for this contract.

Thank you for the positive comments and support.
To those bitter people, we are trying to save good paying American jobs not give more away. If a company wants to reap profits from a community then they should provide good jobs in those communities to support those economies that in turn supports others in those communities, like the carpenter in previous blogs
We do want to work for our pay and avoid the unemployment lines as so many in this country have fallen to.Thanks again for you support.

I think you meant to say 'you aren't striking, you will work hard monday!!!!!

I have worked for VZ in Florida for 10 years and was raised by parents that retired from GTE/Verizon. I have to agree with the person that posted the comment that the union protects the lazy employees that have been with the company for years. I know I am a good employee and I am close to the bottom in seniority. That means if we have a layoff I will be gone and the whiners with 30 years will keep their jobs which isn’t fair. The temp employees we have, work circles around the permanent employees, hoping for a chance to become permanent. Unfortunately they will work for 2 years and then be let go. I hear that the employees involved in the strike will be paid only 200.00 a week by the union. Who can live on that? I talked to a VZ employee from up north and she was almost in tears at the thought of the strike. She is a single mother of 2 and needs her whole check to live. She knows that if she crosses the strike line there will be hell to pay. The cost of living increase they are asking for will be a wash because of the money they will lose in pay due to the strike. It's funny all these demands ( pay raise, free benefits and job security) they have the worst attendance records within the whole company. The customers will be affected and lose confidence with the company as a whole. Then we all lose. No customers, NO jobs. Just my opinion.

A strike saves the company money? That is an ignorant statement that the union workers have said for years. The money they save in union workers salaries pales in comparison to the loss of new revenue during the strike (no new service is put in.) In addition they are paying management employees overtime and fiber installation comes to a grinding halt. And as a management employee who no longer has a funded pension, I'd love a 2% raise and COLA. I've been a management employee for 10 years and NEVER received a COLA raise. Do I agree with no medical for retirees, HELL NO! But do I think union workers need to kick in to pay part of their medical, HELL YES. 3% is nothing, especially considering the climate we live in today. The union is going to force themselves right out of a job. The calls can be off-shored and once the fiber is in, the need for techs will be minuscule.

And please, spell-check your posts. It only bolsters the argument of those who say you’re only high-school educated and over-paid. "DEFINITELY"

i don't expect to much simpathy from none union workers. corp america conditioned them to think its okay to pay for your heath care instead of saying no its not. in stead of them saying we shouldn't pay they make million dollar salarys what does the bottom of the totempole get nothing just keep being a monkey for corp america shame on them

Now there's an idea, change things from the top down. Like the old saying goes sh@# rolls down hill. Change the board and change the sh@#. Start doing that, and maybe they will get the message.

Management people including myself are still mad we lost our pension. Unfortunatley most are to selfish to want the union to keep theirs, I for one wish the union well in that aspect. Why not the board and UPPER management take care of themselves. One thought, next time you get a chance to vote...vote them ALL off the board

AMERICAN WORKERS DESERVE BETTER. WE ARE THE LEADERS IN THE INDUSTRIALIZED WORLD. HOW ABOUT SHOWING THE WORLD WHAT A GREAT COMPANY AND A LEADER IN THE INDUSTRY YOU REALLY ARE. ANYTHING SHORT OF ACKNOWLEDGING WHAT THE UNION HAS HELPED YOU ACCOMPLISH SO FAR IN BUILDING THIS UNTESTED FIBER OPTIC NETWORK IS SHORT OF REMARKABLE. SOW THE SEEDS OF CONTENT NOW AND REAP THE HARVEST LATER.

we need to stand by the american workers with out us there i no company verizon made out standing profits in the last ten years. shame on corp. america every 1 is intitled to heath care if the work more 40 hrs or more the big wigs r getting theres let us get yours now!

Yep, And I still have to remind you to put your boots on, tie them shoes, fill out that call back log so it doesn't look like chicken scratch, and still find time to come out and show you how to do your job. Man I wish I had gone to college!

High school diploma? I am a college graduate as are many of my co-workers.

Man you union poeple are smart. I wish you were running the company. We would have everything.

Go ahead strike and shut down Fios....your ass won't have a job to come back to!!!! You should be thankful you have a well paid job. Don't like your job just quit. Nothing against the union but some of you people are just lazy and/or just whiners. If you find ANY job that is perfect...good pay, full paid benefits, no stress and can you demand everything to fit your needs let me know...I will apply...but that's unrealistic.

I AGREE. THE COMPANY WANTS US TO HELP THEM BUILD THIS NETWORK BUT CONSTANTLY UNDERCUTS US. SHUT DOWN FIOS

THEY ARE TELLING PEOPLE IN MARYLAND THAT IF YOU DO NOT DO ENOUGH FIOS(WHERE IS THAT IN THE CONTRACT BY THE WAY)INSTALLS THEY WILL TAKE YOUR TRUCK FROM YOU. HOW'S THAT FOR MORALE? THEN THEY WILL FIRE YOU. PEOPLE ARE BEING SUSPENDED EVEN AS YOU READ THIS. STRIKE NOW CWA

NEW YORK WE NEED YOU. TAKE IT FROM MARYLAND, THIS FIOS STUFF IS SYSTEM TECH PAY SCALE AT THE VERY LEAST. SERVICE TECHS HAVE BEEN DOING THE SAME JOB AS CABLE TECHS BUT DO NOT GET THE PAY. IT IS INCOMPREHENSIBLE THAT ANY UNION WOULD LET THIS HAPPEN. THEY ARE SUSPENDED PEOPLE FOR PRODUCTIVITY. BUT IF ALL YOU GET ARE AERIAL FIOS INSTALLS WITH 10 SET TOP BOXES, HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLE DO MORE THAN ONE OF THOSE IN 10 HOURS? SO IF YOU LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE A AERIAL AREA YOU ARE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARDS ARE THE GUY WHO GETS MDU'S ALL DAY. STRIKE NOW. IF WE DO NOT ACT NOW THEN ITS OVER FOR US. HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO WORK IN A NEW JOB "WE'RE BUILDING THIS ON THE FLY FELLLAS" THEN BE SUSPENDED FOR NOT MEETING GOALS. WHERE THE HECK IS THE FIOS MANUAL ANYWAY? AND THIS DOES NOT EVEN GET INTO THE HEALTH BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT. STRIKE NOW CWA.

Wow..this rhetoric sounds so familiar, I am a retiree of VZ (union)and also have a Masters HR from Cornell ...I was on strike many times.... sometimes for months & months.... however there was always something which was worth striking for and the victories always made it worth while....For instance the nonsense about paying for medical benefits which they had made management start earlier....ask them how much this has escalated over the years,and we should continue to make sure that union people do not pay. They (VZ PR) make the public believe it is all about salary...which it rarely ever is....Most times it is about quality of life issues such as job security, hours, and scheduling. However as a student of HR issues I know that NO ONE in the workforce today would have any benefits no matter their employer, if at one time there was not competition for intelligent employees and it was necessary for companies to allow a formation of employees to have a say in their working conditions....Where a company might loose good employees if they did not offer benefits. Threfore even non union companies were forced to offer such...Even Management should be grateful to Unions which allows them to have some perks greater than the employees, which keeps them from quiting their many times, maddening jobs, which carries the weight of final responsibility with it. ( Never be in Management in Verizon, alway stay just below the horizon).
In the North East where union people populate the ranks of Verizon...employment conditions are still very crude. In Silicone Valley, today, these conditions do not exist. The Employers make the workplace place a space where you spent over 1/3 of your life, a home away from home, they have Gyms, They have discounted eating facilities for all employees, and usually no matter the location, they always have stocked refrigerators with soft drinks and waters, the employees have access to at any time for free..They have flat screen TV's in the lounges..These are places people WANT to be at not run away from...Maybe Verizon and Mr. S can take some lessons from these employers who Never seem to lack for creative and intelligent employees....instead of being so adversarial towards the workers every time a contract needs to be renegotiated sit down with the union and decide to meet them at least 1/2 way and add some perks...why all the posturing, interruption of business, and financial unheaval? The company will be so much better off....Of course the ultra management might have to give up a yatch or two..but what the heck, they already gave up their familes to sacrafice for Ma Bell... The limo comes at 7AM and drops them off at 9PM or latter ( what kind of life is this?)

YOU SHUT DOWN FIOS WITH A STRIKE AND YOU WIN. THEY NEED TO SEE WHAT IT IS THEY ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND UNTIL YOU PUT THE MANAGERS IN THE FIELDS THE MISTREATMENT OF EMPLOYEES WILL CONTINUE. FIOS IS THE KEY. ITS THE NEW BREAD AND BUTTER FOR THE COMPANY. SHUT DOWN FIOS AND YOU WILL MAKE THEM SEE THE LIGHT. NO PUN INTENTED.

its now or never. if YOU do not strike now then the company will go forward with its impossible performance plans and fire people for not meeting "quotas". The plan is a sham. Managers hand pick work for their peeps and leave the garbage for others. How can one meet goals when the system is so corrupt? No 2 jobs are the same. No 2 individuals are the same. If you let the company implement this strategy in its new FIOS service, then YOU all might as well start looking for future employment. Because once you get 6 years the company will find a way to fire you under the plan so you will not be vested. IF YOU WANT SOME GOOFBALL IN HIS FAMILY MINIVAN PULLING UP TO YOUR HOUSE WITH SOME MAGNETIC SIGN ON THE SIDE SAYING "VERIZON CONTRACTOR", IF YOU SEE THAT AS ACCEPTABLE THEN YOU CAN LET THEM IN YOUR HOME, I WILL NOT. THE COMPANY DOES NOT DO CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS WHEN THEY HIRE CONTACTORS. SO THAT GUY IN THAT MINIVAN COULD BE A CONVICTED SEX OFFENDER. GET REAL PEOPLE, THIS IS ABOUT COMPETENT WORKERS DOING RESPONSIBLE WORK AND WANTING ONLY WAS IS FAIR TO THEM. 80 PERCENT OF THE BURIED SERVICE WIRE CONTRACTORS THAT VERIZON EMPLOYS ARE NOT EVEN LEGAL. THEY ARE WORKING AROUND YOUR HOUSE, AROUND YOUR FAMILY AND THEY ARE NOT LEGAL IMMIGRANTS. THEY COULD ROB,SHOOT AND RAPE YOU AND NOONE WOULD EVER BE ABLE TO LOCATE THEM. THEY ARE PICKED UP AT LOCAL 7-11'S BY VERIZON CRONIES. WAKE-UP PEOPLE. ITS TIME TO SAY NO TO THIS KIND OF CORPORATE BEHAVIOR.

Laborer's Unions have been around for more than 100 years and while their purpose and causes may have changed and will likely continue to change the need for them will exists as long as there are Corporations and Employees. Equality is unrealistic but we, the workers, will continue to demand fair pay, health compensation for our days and years put into the company, and security. We have earned it, why should we build the city and then be told we are not allowed to prosper in it?

I am the wife of Verizon employee who is gearing up to hit the streets. I have spent my OWN career in management positions and can see both sides of this coin. However, I feel it warrants mentioning that I am and always have been... PRO-UNION.

I have a very good understanding of what Verizon is offering, trying to take away and trying to get. And from somebody who will be directly affected by the strike let me tell you.

I would NOT be opposed to having to pay SOMETHING for our health insurance but the $30K a year by 2011 that is on the table is outrageous. I know the cost of health care, along with everything else out there is rising and even a company that sees more than 5 BILLION dollars in PROFIT in a year will be looking for ways to be MORE profitable (I don't fault them for that!)... But a retiree cannot afford that 30K for insurance and we sure as heck cannot either. Yes, My husband is compensated nicely for his work (he's a splicer) and we appreciate that FAIR wage, the cost of living DOES go up each year... more now than ever... and they want to take away the cost of living increases. I say... take them for ONE year... or give them every other year but don't take them away entirely. The Contracting issue causes more problems than it's worth and ... I really cannot see how Verizon sees profit from it. My husband and the other people who work at his garage are ALWAYS talking about some job they had to go and fix. Some situation where a giant 1200 pair cable got hit by contracted diggers that Verizon hired. Guess who fixes those messes... NO, really... go ahead and guess. Okay... give up? Union Employees that have been trained PROPERLY and know what the hell they are doing. That's who!

There are Verizon employees THAT sincerely WANT to unionize and are being "encouraged" not to. This is yet another thing they are fighting for. I say this because I have read idiotic claims that the Union doesn't care about the Wireless side and that they "ride on their shirt tails" but while those employees are working, pulling a paycheck and wishing they had better benefits and wages... MY HUSBAND and this UNION will be walking the streets IN SUPPORT of them, as well. Striking is not something that happens because people are bored and want to stir things up or because they need a few days or weeks off... They are moved to defend their employment, their job security and all the other things they fought for in the past.

I also heard that a certain individual was offered a 7 MILLION dollar BONUS (not pay... BONUS) and turned it down saying it wasn't enough. Really? 7 MILLION dollars is not enough? Are you friggin' kidding me?? Maybe it's not the Union employees that aren't able to live within their means.

Cheers and Solidarity!
Viva La Unions!
CWA Local 13000

Enough is enough!! I have been a VZ employee and union member (local 2108 thank you very much) for 10 years. I also have not one but two college degrees, including one in Business Management that I got just before being hired by Bell Atlantic/Verizon.
What is truly sickening is this whole 'us vs them' stance. Everyone, from the CEO to the consultant, at Verizon wants to see our company thrive in these tough economic conditions. It is about time that we started working together as a team otherwise our competition is going to destroy us.
Another thing, if the corperation wants the union to give things up, fine, then the corperation needs to give up something in response (ie, instead of making 26 million, Ivan only makes 16 million next year), its only fair.
Neither the corporation or the union can afford a strike, so lets hope that common sense wins out and we can all go back to work on Monday feeling good about the company we work so hard for.

Unfortunately, with all the comments on this blog, I feel like there will be a strike. Whether its fair or not, the company feels like the union needs to pay into their healthcare benefits in order to be competitive going forward. I think the company may stand tall on not budging until some kind of concession is made on the union's part. If you think about it, the unions's leverage is that the company needs FiOS to continue to be rolled out and meet objectives. A strike would hurt that. However, VZ leverage is if strike happens for an extended of time, with the cost of living, union members may not be able to hold out. Personally, I hope we do not strike but we have been avoiding this for two contracts. Union employees are not overpaid, but it may be time, from a business point of view, to pay a little for those benefits. The cost of doing business has gone up, so the union should not expect to be able to operate as it did in the early '80s. Its time to move forward and do what is best for the overall business.

Why is it that the only people the union does anything for is the employee that is the attendance problem. Call out sick use up all of your FMLA get fired and get your job back. When I came to Bell Atlantic/Verizon..I didnt even know what FMLA was. Forge Dr's notes get fired, get your job back..Thats not the type of co worker I want...The union only help the slackers in the workforce...GO ON STRIKE WHO CARES

Verizon doesn't even believe the union is going to walk out. They put out all this hype of striking,, well, Verizon doesn't believe it. Matter of fact, management got orders NOT to fly until there is a strike. They have had tickets ready to fly out,,but that all has changed. All your threats have been in vain so far.

Where is this sense of entitlement coming from? The company should not "have to" give you anything. You don't like it - leave and go find another job. That's what most of the workforce has to do. we all have to deal with health care premium increases, layoffs/downsizing, major changes to pension plans....it is, what it is. You don't like it, move on! I hate this sense of entitlement!

Get paid for YOUR performance? What, just like Comcast employees? There's a reason their service is so poor & their techs so aloof.........ask them how well they think they're paid for their performance.

Excuse me, those networks weren't built nor maintained by the union! Take your organized labor rationalizations elsewhere, the COMPANY built those things and PAID DEARLY for the union labor it took. I NEVER hear a union worker complain that they are underpaid versus their non-union counterparts in a similar industry.

That it could have cost FAR LESS to build and maintain them, with those cost savings resulting in lower fixed and wireless and FiOS bills for all of US, is of course ALWAYS lost on the organized labor lackeys that are sent out to comment on blogs like this.

Maybe you should get the union off your back and stand on your own, then your back wouldn't hurt. Last time I checked the reason to be in business was to make money, so are you saying Verizon is doing a bad thing by making money? Is it your money that is being risked to build FiOS? or any of the other projects they are doing? No you just have to cry about it, get off your couches and try working a little, you will be surprised that you might get paid for a job well done rather then hijacking employers to pay because you show up. Get out of the union and do your job and then you get paid for YOUR performance.

Well said, Coll

Verizon made BILLIONS on our backs.
They should pay for our backs if they hurt.

Some of these comments crack me up.. I have 18 years
experience with Verizon, and my family has a total
of 60 years experience working for the Bell operating companies and its subsidiaries. I'm college educated and have a intellectually demanding
job with Verizon. The corporations wisely used profits gleaned for years from a network built and maintained by union employees to build their wireless network. They are now using union employees to build their "future proof" broadband Fios network. The company now wants to lock out myself and my union brothers and sisters from the good jobs that these networks can provide, even though the proceeds to finance the company's various business ventures were generated predominately from union built telecommunication networks. I earn every dollar I make, and this isn't a question of union members running a failing business in to the ground...our corporation continues to be very profitable. I am proud to be union and proud to work for Verizon, and will always seek fair and equitable wages and benefits based upon my hard earned skill sets and my company's increasing profitability.

One of the former comments was dead on.. I work in Mass and all we do all day is fix mistakes vendors have made and try to make good on lies that they tell. I hope the public realizes that when you reach a rep for billing questions..we're union. When we can't answer your question its because the company hasn't bothered to train us, when you were quoted a price we can't honor its because you spoke to some vendor who lied to you to get a sale, and when orders get lost, stuck or messed up its because the company has invested in the shoddiest computer system imaginable. Yet, we still try to keep a smile on and HELP you. We are fighting to keep our jobs because we know we do it better than the rest and we care because we're sitting in an office or a garage right down the street from where you live. So many of you may be surprised, but we unionworkers DO work extremely hard and do deserve to keep the pay and benefits we have fought for.

Although Verizon dumped us because we were to "rural", we still support our brothers and sisters. Good luck, we hope the strike is averted. A brother in New Hampshire!

You have that "feeling" because it appears YOU are biased towards believing that union labor is appropriate for the current market. It simply isn't. You know, I feel bad for someone who's been in a union job for 30 years and thinks they're getting the shaft, but they made their bed a long time ago. I know it's hard to quit a job and start a new career in a more modern work environment when you've invested so much of your life in a company, but times change. This situation sucks, and I DO hope Verizon treats them "fairly", but I also do see that organized labor's view of what is "fair" versus what the vast majority of the (non union) workforce think is "fair" are often VERY FAR APART. And the vast majority of the workforce being non union, public events such as picketing etc. don't bring the general public to your cause.

Why do I have the feeling that the people who are anti-union fall into two categories; 1. Management who do not want to see their piece of the pie reduced -or- 2. Non-union workers who are not granted the same benefits that Union members have fought for ???

Wake up we make $30 an hour and most of us drive far due to need for a work force in different location we are forced adjusted many times further from home with the cost of gas.And by the way I was a builder I made my money and got out of that .In addition I am a system tech for verizon and we do alot of technical work and what do you do for a living .We are union so we can get good wages and fair treatment just because you do not have the balls to form one then you suffer.Not us stand strong local 827 IBEW

I am a VZ employee and also a union member. In the 10 years I have been working for the company, work has been shifting to contractors in practically every capacity for VZ from sales reps to techs. While I am all for people to get a job and get paid, I do strongly oppose when these same people do not having any training or experience. Also these same contractors do not follow VZ business practices or guidelines that VZ employees must follow each and every day. Also when a contracted employees who works on behalf of vz who places an order, handles a repair call, or when a tech installs new services these same contractors will and do make mistakes and then what happens next is customer frustration, so guess what happens, REAL VZ employees has to correct the mistakes and makes it whole. So the question is do you want someone who is contracted for VZ with zero experience and training or do you want an VZ union employee?

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In the history of this country there was a time and place for unions and what they were able to offer their members. That time and place has long since passed. Look today at the UAW and what the UNION is doing to the very businesses that employ it's members. The union has driven the cost of production so far through the roof there is no way that American Auto companies can financially compete with foreign makers.

In the eyes of many American workers today, being in a union is a sign of laziness and weakness. There is a perception that if you can't achieve your goals on your own merit and hard work, join the union...they'll make sure you have a guaranteed paycheck you're whole life.

However, if the unions keep running the companies that pay their employees into the ground, maybe someday we will actually be rid of the massive, unnecessary, over imposing unions and get back to what this country was founded on...INDEPENDENCE and HARD WORK!

Complaining about late hours and paying for health insurance, etc? This is something that MOST people do anyway...you are LUCKY you have avoided this so far and still have a pension. 'But you have to work late and in bad weather sometimes'...we all have to work hard if we want to accomplish something. If you want an easy job, go elsewhere, but if you want high pay, be prepared to work for it - you think the CEO doesn't work nearly round-the-clock making VERY tough decisions?

www . intelligentconservatism . com/?p=69

The "wake up or retire" comment is one I've seen back in 1989 when we were on strike for four months. Back then people told me I was crazy...that THEY had to pay for their benefits.....that THEY made a lot less etc...etc... If we made those concessions 20 years ago, we would be in the same boat as many others are today - under paid, overworked, and forced out BECAUSE of seniority. We fight for what we deserve. We fight to protect ourselves, our families, our retirees and our future union brothers and sisters.

From a union standpoint.. I feel that we NEED to hold onto what we have. Tho some feel we're overpaid etc... We didn't get to the point we're at without a union. If we have to walk to secure our jobs pay and benefits then so be it. I personally don't feel like they wont settle. If we do end up out then I'm projecting mabe a couple of weeks at most Like in 2000. FiOS is still in its early stages and in some cases New York for example.. I don;t think Wall Street will be to happy seeing a company pushing a new product that can't iron out there employee problems.

From a VZ perspective.. For those that don't realize, Strikes Save Money for the corporation. Not paying 65,000 people anywhere from 600-1400p/w plus benefits will more than likely put enough money in there pockets to fund there FiOS build for the next contract. Striegal coming from CEO of VZ wireless, who is non union I might ad.. Won't even think twice about letting us walk to save the money and because of a dislike for unions period. He to me is the scary part.. VZ gave him the reins to do whatever he wants, since his overwhelming success in the wireless field. With that he might just have the balls to try to break us. But, what do I know lol im just goin by my feelings.

As far as the actual contract goes.. I attend many Union meetings and I'll tell you there are some BULLSH@%! employees out there. Rightfully so tho I'll spare the details, but Verizon really has been playing alot of games.. Is it from above?? who knows.. But as I understand there is a record number of Grievences filed as of now for breaches in the contract. The Grievence proccess is all we have, and its not making any difference. They do what they want, and there is no one to police them. This has brought the frustration to a severe level, and lets face it 90% voted for a strike if we dont get something Sat. 90% say they will not work under an extension of the current.

I hope I didn't ramble to bad and I hope my imput helps at all.

-Helixx

Quote"I myself have worked as a union worker (not in the CWA) and I can tell you that they did nothing for me other then take my dues every 2 weeks. The only thing I ever saw the union do was protect the underachievers at my shop."

Yes I do agree with you here they do protect the bums instead of redirecting them as they should. I do however still stand with what I said above and I am happy with what the Union has gotten me thus far.