A sampling of comments in support of the unions from FierceTelecom readers:
- Fair negotiations? Let's see... make all retirees after 2009 pay for their medical insurance. No pension plan for new hires. No layoff clause. No lump sum payment if you retire and of course, let's pay 3% medical each year and get a 2% raise with no COLA. That seems fair. I've worked 34 years for the company and the way this is going, I won't be able to retire until I'm 72. That definitely sounds fair to me!
- Fairness is a foreign idea at Verizon. Give backs to a company that can afford to buy other companies? I think that the folks running the show have forgotten where the money came from to purchase all their darling wireless properties. We have a guard checking ID's at my work location, he suddenly appeared 2 days ago, slight hint at what's coming Saturday night? You betcha!!
- My husband has been working for Verizon for over 12 years. I can tell you right now that he will never see in his lifetime what Ivan Seidenberg pays himself in one bonus! He may be well paid but he deserves every penny he makes. He is a highly trained, COLLEGE EDUCATED professional. He works in horrible weather and often (is) forced to work very late. There is NOTHING he would like more than to see a fair resolution to the negotiations but is also willing to stand up for himself and his fellow workers.
- I've worked for VZ for 10 years. … So many think that we're overpaid and don’t deserve what we have and are trying to keep. If we are so spoiled … perhaps its time to: A) get a union career or, B) Respect what we have. Bottom line ... We have what we have because we are willing to walk out without our pay to protect and fight to keep our benefits and pay.
- From a union standpoint ... I feel that we NEED to hold onto what we have. Though 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 won’t settle. If we do end up out then I'm projecting maybe a couple of weeks at most Like in 2000. Striegal coming from CEO of VZ wireless, who is non union I might add.. Won't even think twice about letting us walk …. He, to me, is the scary part.
- 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.
- 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?
- I am in NJ IBEW 827; I am a system tech in special … I can tell you the Verizon greed in management is unbelievable. They try to rule us with fear and intimidation. And it is time to fight the battle now rather than continue like this.
- New York Tel, Nynex, Bell Atlantic, or Verizon I don't care what they call themselves we have shown them before and we will show them again they aren't the ones running the company we are. It's our sweat that gives this country its Telephone, Internet and TV. They need to be reminded that we will not back down and we will never give up what our members fought for in the past. We don't want to go on strike, we don't want to walk a picket line in the August heat but we will because they force us to. CWA Local 1104. Union and Proud.
- Every three years without fail the battle has to be fought. When will it end? The arrogance of Verizon, a company who has made billions of dollars on the backs of their non union employees at Wireless. Despite all this revenue there are still known as the "Pothole on the information super highway" too many "old school" ways of operating. ... Let's face it Verizon it's time to settle this matter with CWA and move on together to approach the new technologies and perhaps all involved will reap the rewards. You have not come very far from the 1970's and the New York Telephone mentality.
- As a former Verizon manager forced to work 24/7 to stay employed, I say God Bless America and our Unions. I wish that our management teams had had union protection. I might still be a manager for Verizon. I lost a pension, lost benefits, and ended up losing a job. Please stand strong.
- IBEW LOCAL 827 stay strong and walk the line along side your CWA brothers as I know we will. 8/2/08
- As a former Verizon manager and retiree, I can tell you that the real losers in this whole situation are the lower level management folks who will inevitably get dumped on by the Verizon Executives and upper management and catch some hell from the Union folks as well. Using poorly trained, overworked, and stressed out low level managers is no way for Verizon to counter the efforts of the unions on this matter. I know, I've been there many times. I hope the Unions put the squeeze big time on those over-compensated, under-performing Verizon Execs, who are the real problem and major impediment to real progress at that company. … CWA and IBEW....hang in there!
- My coworkers and I are hard working, and we don't quibble about "coffee breaks" and ancient outdated union rules. I spend every day trying to band-aid the old plant to keep it working because all of the Verizon budget is now in FiOS, AND I smile at the customers and only say good things about my company. Unions are necessary to protect us poor sots from the greed of overpaid CEO's (Enron anyone?). … If Verizon had it's way we'd be run like Comcast, underpaid unmotivated non-union poor people who change jobs every few years while their CEO's rake it in