West Virginia continues to protest Verizon-Frontier deal

Little more than a week after an Illinois judge suggested that state regulators should block Verizon's wireline asset sale to Frontier, 5,000 West Virginians have signed a petition asking the state's Public Service Commission to reject the deal.

Backing the petition is a number of consumer and union groups, including the Communications Workers of America (CWA), West Virginia Citizen Action Group, The Association of American Retired Persons (AARP).

Along with some early protests in Oregon, Washington State, and more recently Illinois, West Virginia's consumer advocates and unions have been vocal in their opposition of the impending deal since it was originally announced last May. And it appears that their efforts are gaining momentum as more West Virginia organizations and politicians have also joined them in expressing their concerns on what effect the transaction will have on current telephone workers and consumers.   

"As of March 1 we had more than 80 West Virginia legislators who submitted letters of opposition and concern over this deal to the PSC," Harris said. "Then you have the county commissions, city leaders, various organizations and 5,000 members of the public who are also voicing strong opposition to the deal. Simply put, the public opposition has become a force to be reckoned with."

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