Don’t let the “early negotiations” with CWA and IBEW fool you—Verizon isn’t suddenly becoming labor-friendly. This is all about optics and controlling the fallout before the next round of cuts hits.
Yes, they started talks a year early. Why? Because Wall Street is already nervous. They can’t afford another headline about labor unrest on top of declining revenue and relentless offshoring. A strike—even just the threat of one—would crater investor confidence and spook institutional holders.
The unions know this. That’s why they’re playing the usual game: release a few updates, push back on healthcare cost shifts, call a mobilization if needed. But make no mistake—CWA and IBEW don’t want a strike any more than Verizon does. They’re looking for optical wins on job security and benefits, and Verizon will give them just enough to let everyone claim “victory.”
Meanwhile?
Verizon will quietly keep pushing:
• More roles offshored to India and the Philippines
• More automation in Network and Ops
• More contract consultants in place of FTEs
They’ll wrap up the extension sometime before year-end, declare “labor peace,” and then get back to the real game: slimming the headcount by attrition, automation, and silence.
This isn’t a new chapter—it’s just the same script with better lighting.